Starlight
by A. Cullen
Summary: Mamoru's day goes from bad to worse when he meets a girl in a video shop. From different worlds, they have nothing in common but fate keeps pushing them together. Yet their angry meetings begin to have unexpected results. UxM AU 5th fairytale.
1. Prince of Bad Luck

**Author Note: **This is the first time I've ever written anything specifically for Usagi and Mamoru alone (ever since I read 'Soulmates' by Lady I've been a Sens/Shitennou fan all the way!) but I'm actually really looking forward to this one. They have such a great story already. This is _very loosely_ based on the story of Selene and Endymion** –** hopefully with some interesting twists. Please enjoy.

_

* * *

Starlight_

**Prince of Bad Luck**

* * *

There was no doubt about it – he needed a manly movie and he needed it now. 

Chiba Mamoru had just experienced possibly the worst day of his life. This morning his Grad professor had asked him to dissect the cadaver with his lab partners, the silent Meioh Setsuna – a woman who hardly ever spoke two words to him; Midorikawa Fiorieiru – a strange young man, who was never-the-less his closest friend at the school; and Sugimoto Beryl – a beautiful woman who was so helpful he sometimes wondered why he bothered to do his homework.

The trouble began when Han-sensei asked everyone to take off their cadaver's right arm. Mamoru had volunteered to wield the saw, trying to be a gentleman. For some reason his insistence on this point greatly annoyed the taciturn Meioh-san who quietly suggested he could 'trust the girls to handle such a difficult job.' He had tried to assure her that he didn't mean anything by it, but Midorikawa, always quick to defend him, started an argument with Meioh-san – into which Sugimoto-san thrust her opinion, helping Midorikawa to blast Meioh for being rude to Mamoru – and all this somehow resulted in the saw going into the wrong arm and ruining the project.

They all received a failing grade for the assignment. Meioh had stalked out of the room in high dungeon, Midorikawa had flicked her off and, after some poorly chosen words on Mamoru's part, had flicked him off as well. Somehow Mamoru ended up walking home with Sugimoto-san who's enthusiastic apologies grated on his nerves until he wanted to scream.

He'd managed to evade Sugimoto-san at a cross walk, tricking her into going home by herself. It wasn't that he wasn't attracted to Sugimoto-san, with her long red hair and womanly figure - who wouldn't be attracted? She was also one of the brightest students in the school, ranked third in the grad department behind Meioh and himself. She was charming, well spoken and considerate - sometimes too considerate - but Mamoru just couldn't become attatched to her. It happened with every woman he'd ever known to have an interest in him. For some reason he could never get interested in them.

He wasn't a naturally open or kind-hearted person, he thought. That wasn't how he saw himself, but he was polite and chivalrous, and he prided himself on those qualities. They were all he had besides his brains - so he had to make the most of his good qualities. And now he was being punished for them!

But that wasn't all.

On the way home he'd received a call from his family lawyer letting him know that the battle for his parents' possessions – which had seemed on the verge of finally being resolved – had started yet again by another supposed will being found; and on top of it all, he'd forgotten to pay his electric bill.

Which was why he needed his manly movie - to remind himself of how the world ought to be. He entered the first shop he found on the unfamiliar street: Motoki's Video Rental.

He slammed the door of the video shop open with a crash, the little bell hanging on it nearly fell off with the force.

"Hey, watch it!" he heard a dismayed, startled voice yell.

He gave a cursory glance to see who the speaker was but the shop was so messy and full of stacks of un-shelved video games, movies and other paraphernalia that he couldn't see anything living in the mess.

He stalked through the aisles looking for his favorite feel good movie – but the clutter was nearly impossible to get through.

"This place is a pig-stye! Don't you ever clean in here?" He called, peeved.

"Hey! What's wrong with you!?" the voice called back, insulted. He looked sharply to his left but still couldn't locate the speaker.

"This is ridiculous," he muttered and continued his search. A whole stack of videos toppled onto his foot.

"Stop destroying the shop!" the voice cried.

"What do you mean, stop destroying it?" He taunted, "It's already a disaster."

"Jerk."

_I'm never coming here again._

He looked for five minutes until he found the movie he'd been searching for. He picked it up, blew the dust off of it and discovered that it had a sticker on it that said, "Disc damaged'.

"Is this the only copy that you have?" He called, holding up the DVD – hoping that whoever it was would see it from wherever they were in the junk yard of a shop.

"Yep."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Nope."

"That's it."

He threw the DVD back onto the pile of dust and stalked through the maze until he found the counter.

"Listen – this is the worst shop I've ever seen."

He halted at the sight of the lone employee. Years of watching his tongue and being polite to women flew out the window as he looked into her angry blue eyes.

"That is the weirdest hairstyle I have ever seen."

Her eyes opened wide in shock. One hand went up to the left ball of hair.

"Y-y-you jerk!" she spluttered.

For some reason he felt an intense urge to laugh – he completely forgot about being angry.

"You are pathetic – look at this shop," he cried, "what do you do all day?"

"I work!" she retorted and actually stuck her tongue out at him.

"You have to be too old to do that," he remarked calmly, "and what kind of work is this?"

He picked up a random, fudge stained manga volume and tossed it toward her. She ducked but somehow fell off her chair.

"Ow!" she cried.

He peeked over the counter top at her as she sat on the floor rubbing her knee. She actually had tears in her eyes.

"You're so mean!" she shouted, "First you insulted me and now you push me off my chair!"

"I didn't push you off," he countered, "you fell off by yourself."

"You should at least help me up, or apologize, or something!" she yelled.

He laughed and she got a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"You are the rudest jerk in the world and I hope you fall down a hole." she muttered, her bottom lip trembling.

"Oh, come on," he sighed and leaned over the counter to give her a hand. Her small hand fit snugly in his as he hauled her up.

"You sure are heavier than you look," he remarked.

"I am not!" she blushed, "How could you say that!?"

"Just telling it like it is..." suddenly, a rare moment of sheer inspiration struck.

"Odango-atama."

"What did you say!?" she shrieked.

"Odango-atama," he repeated, trying it out, "I like that, it's perfect for you."

"You...jerk!"

"You're not very creative are you?" he grinned, "But what can one expect from an Odango?"

"Just leave!" she growled, "Before I throw you out."

"I'd like to see you try, chibi-odango-atama," he smirked, but turned on his heel and strode out.

"Thanks for making my day the worst one in history!" she yelled.

"Same to you!" he yelled back.

The bell tinkled merrily as the door shut.

* * *

"Oh, I'm sorry Usagi," Mina said, plopping a large bowl of popcorn in her friend's lap. Mako flipped through the collection of movies on the messy shelves beside the t.v. 

"It's alright," Usagi sniffed, "That's the last time I'll ever have to deal with that guy."

"He sounds like a winner alright," Mako commented sarcastically. She picked up a DVD and blew the dust off of it.

"Although," she coughed, "he may have a point about your messiness."

"Mako-chan," Usagi whined, "I'm not messy!"

"Yes, you are," a voice came from the kitchen.

Usagi didn't have to turn around to know who had spoken.

"You're as mean as that jerk," she mumbled, "you two would be perfect for each other."

"Usagi," Rei put her hands on her hips, reprovingly, "You know a little cleaning never hurt anyone."

"Stop picking on me!" Usagi insisted, "I've had a hard day."

Mako chuckled, "Alright, come on, let's watch a movie. Since your day was so bad, you get to choose, Usagi."

"Hm," Usagi smiled, "that's easy! Let's watch -"

Everyone, including Ami, chorused with her:

"Romeo and Juliet."

"I hate reading subtitles," Mako remarked.

"I don't understand why you like this movie," Rei murmured, "It has an unhappy ending."

"That's what makes it so romantic!" Mina exclaimed, "Love that was destined to be, but is constantly thwarted. Lovers who are so close and yet can never be together!"

"You make it sound so sad." Usagi wailed as she and Mina embraced each other.

"Well, I think it's romantic, but it isn't my favorite," Mako spoke up, "I'd rather have something with a happier ending – preferably without anyone dying."

"Two teenagers who can't control their hormones," Rei commented, dryly, "and all they had to do was just tell someone what they were up to."

"That's true," Ami agreed, "the plot isn't very original or amazing. But the language Shakespeare used to create the story is considered -"

"Well, what I don't get," Mako barged in, "is why they don't like each other in the beginning."

"They have a feud!" Mina explained, "Their families hate each other."

"Yeah, I know that," Mako answered patiently, "but why?"

Mina, Usagi and Rei blinked, then as one they turned to Ami - perhaps the only person there who had actually read the original English language Shakespearean version.

Ami blushed.

"I don't believe there's anything in the text to suggest -" she began.

"That's exactly what I mean," Mako cut in, "Why doesn't anyone ever tell you why they don't like each other?"

"You're not supposed to ask why," Mina declared, "you're just supposed to focus on the lovers and their story."

"Well, I think it's silly," Mako grumbled, crossing her arms. She pushed the play button and the opening titles flashed on to the screen.

"I'm not arguing," Rei remarked.

"I think what Mina is trying to say," Ami commented, "is that, despite the weaknesses in the plot and the obvious over-simplification of the main characters' conflicts, the true strength of the story lies in the perseverance and dedication of the two lovers as they struggle to remain faithful to each other in the face of extraordinary obstacles and circumstances."

"That's right!" Usagi nodded.

"Do you understand what she said? " Rei asked, suspiciously.

"Yes, I do," Usagi retorted, "I'm not stupid. She said love conquers all and that's the point of the story, even if it doesn't have a creative plot."

"I completely agree." she added.

Rei exchanged a wondering glance with Mako who shrugged.

"Come on, Rei," Mina chuckled, "you know Usagi's got brains. It's motivation that she's lacking."

Rei smiled, wryly.

"Why do you think I constantly try to motivate her?" she replied.

"Oh, that's what you call it," Mina quipped, winking at Usagi.

"Shh! The movie's on," Mako said.

They settled down to watch the beginning.

A small sniffing noise was heard.

"Usagi! You can't be crying already! No one's said anything yet!"

"I can't help it!" Usagi wept, "It's so sad!"

* * *

Mamoru sighed, relaxing in his favorite chair and flipped on the t.v. 

It was amazing but all the stress he'd felt during the day had somehow magically disappeared after he'd left the hellish video shop. Venting his frustration on that strange girl had been the catharsis he'd needed for so long.

He felt a bit guilty about it, but the shop had been a mess and the girl was obviously a lazy teenager (a cute one, but never-the-less a slob.)

He pressed play on the remote to his DVD player and settled down to enjoy his movie alone. Normally he would have invited Midorikawa, but the young man was hot tempered and hadn't decided to speak to him yet. They weren't close friends - Mamoru had no close friends - but they usually hung out together and it made Mamoru feel rather lonely to watch his favorite movie alone.

He popped a carrot into his mouth - they were much healthier than popcorn - and tried to focus on the movie. He soon fell asleep, however, and in his dreams he relived the scene at the movie store over and over again. Sometimes the girl in the store had Sugimoto-san's face, sometimes she was the actual girl - and once even Meioh-san - but every time that distinct double bunned hair style was the same.


	2. Princess of Video Games

_Starlight_

**Princess of Video Games**

* * *

"I thought it would be a good way for us all to...uh...make amends." 

Mamoru looked up and found Beryl's sweet smile sparkling at him.

"Huh?"

He removed his glasses and stepped away from the cadaver and his other two antagonistic lab partners.

"The Mall's having a festival," she explained, "I got tickets for all of us."

She leaned closer, her eyes on Meioh and Midorikawa, and murmured:

"After what happened yesterday, I thought maybe we could all use some time to relax..."

Mamoru could smell the soft fragrance of her perfume – it was a dark yet pleasant smell, elegant and slightly minty.

He wrinkled his nose and answered:

"Alright."

Her look told him that she hadn't expected him to agree so readily, and that she was very pleased that he had.

He was a little surprised himself, but he needed an excuse to get out and why pass up a free offer?

"Great," she grinned, "I'll ask the others."

"Good luck," Mamoru muttered.

* * *

Somehow, he never knew quite how, he had ended up in the middle of the Mall's festival with Beryl beside him, Midorikawa making cynical remarks about adolescent fashion, and Meioh-san trailing along behind them in a stony silence. 

"Look at that dress, Meioh-san!" Beryl exclaimed, "That would look so beautiful on you - with your coloring it would be very attractive."

Meioh-san only smiled grimly at this. Mamoru couldn't tell if she was insulted, apathetic or...pleased.

"Um, Chiba-san," Beryl turned to him, "would you care to visit the art shops?"

Mamoru shrugged.

He was about to reply when all of his breath was knocked out of him.

"Ow!" he heard a familiar voice whine.

"It's - you!" he wheezed.

"Not you!" the blond from the video store wailed. True to form she'd barged into him head long.

"Why don't you watch where you're going?" he suggested after he caught his breath.

"Why don't you watch where _you're_ going?" she replied.

"Do you know each other, Chiba-san?" Beryl asked politely.

"I don't know him!" Usagi yelled, making a disgusted face.

"We're acquaintances," Mamoru frowned, "but I hope the association won't be long lasting."

"Same here," Usagi snapped.

"Oh," Beryl blinked, unsure of how to handle their animosity.

"This Mall isn't big enough for the both of us," Usagi griped.

"You've been watching too many Westerns, Odango-atama."

"Don't call me THAT!" she screamed, stomping her foot in fury.

"Usagi!" a male voice called in alarm.

Mamoru looked up from the petite blond's temper-tantrum to see a white haired man approaching.

"What's going on here?" the man asked.

"Is this man upsetting you, Usagi?"

Mamoru opened his mouth to reply, but the blond cut him off.

"No! But he is a royal jerk. Let's go, Artemis."

The white haired man stared at Mamoru in confusion, then his eyes narrowed. He looked as though he would have liked to have said something more but Usagi was dragging him away at an alarming speed.

"Well, that was interesting," Beryl commented.

"Yeah," he remarked. He walked on, lost in thought..

_Usagi? What kind of a name is that!? And was that guy her father?...he looked too young and she didn't address him as if ..._

"Chiba-san?"

Beryl was looking at him with a perplexed expression.

"Yes?"

"Meioh and I are going to look at jewelry, I though maybe we could meet up with you two later for dinner?"

"Sounds good."

He caught Midori's eye, but the other man only shrugged and flicked his green hair out of his face. They fell into step with each other as the women walked off.

They turned to walk East in a comfortable and companionable silence.

"So.." Mamoru asked, "did you sign up for an art class this coming quarter?"

"Yeah," Midori answered, "I have to reach the fourth level in art, but this is the last anatomy class I'll have to take."

"Being a medical artist must be like having a double major."

"Yeah," Midori snorted.

Just like that, Mamoru knew he'd been forgiven and his words of yesterday forgotten. Sometimes there were advantages to having a friend as surly and taciturn as himself.

Suddenly Midori veered sharply to the left and Mamoru looked to see where he was going. In a corner of the Mall was a flower booth set up with bunches of freshly cut flowers and arrangements. Midori headed for them without pausing - very much like a giant bee. Mamoru had never understood the other man's obsession with flowers, he himself preferred roses only, but he had nothing better to do so he went to look at them with his friend.

As he bent down to cradle the soft petal of a pale, drooping flower a stranger bumped into him, jostling him slightly. The stranger and Mamoru both apologized politely and the man went on his way. Midori watched them both, consideringly.

"That man just stole your wallet," he commented.

"What?"

Mamoru slipped his hand into his jacket pocket.

"Damn."

"I'll get him," Midori said, and dropped the bunch of yellow roses he was holding to run pell mell after the retreating man. Mamoru thought to call him back but decided to let him run. Once Midori had his mind set on anything, especially where his temper and Mamoru's well being were concerned, it was impossible to stop him. Mamoru located a mall guard instead and informed the man about the crime.

Then he began to wander aimlessly around the mall.

* * *

An hour later, Mamoru realized he was lost. He turned in the direction he thought was West in order to retrace his steps, but halted when a familiar voice accosted him. 

"Hey, you!"

He groaned. He had been found by the last person he wanted to see.

"Odango-atama."

Her face turned red.

"Don't call me that."

He turned to go but she stopped him again.

"Where are your friends?"

"I don't know," he replied.

"You lost your friends!?" she asked, incredulously.

"I didn't lose them," he answered, "they lost me. And anyway where is your...uh..." he didn't know what their relationship was...

"I - I -I," she stuttered and to his surprise burst into tears.

"I lost Artemis!!!" she wailed.

"Don't," he pleaded as she cried, "just...don't." The noise was horrendous and it made him feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Can't you go be lost somewhere else?"

Usagi stared at him and only cried harder and louder.

"How can you say things like that!?" she sobbed, "You have no heart!"

"Uh, sorry," he apologized desperately, "why don't we -"

"I'm lost! And I'm hungry!!!"

"Well then go get something to eat."

"Artemis has the m-m-money!"

"Then I'll - uh -oh." He remembered belatedly that he was now as poor as she was.

"Sorry, I don't have any money either."

Her crying stopped.

"You're kidding," she said, candidly, "You look so rich."

It was so bizarrely honest that he started laughing before he knew what he was doing. She smiled hesitantly.

"Well, looks can be deceiving," he said, lightly, "let's just try to find -"

"But I'm hungry!"

"Well, I don't know what you want me to do about it," he snapped.

"Wait!" she yelled, her face transformed from misery to joy so fast it made Mamoru's head spin.

"I've got an idea! Come on!"

To his utter surprise and displeasure she grabbed his arm and half pulled, half dragged him to the Arcade.

"What are we -" he began.

"Look!" she pointed proudly at a large sign on the windows of the store. The sign read:

'TOURNAMENT TODAY ONLY. All contestants welcome.'

He read the cash prize at the bottom and nearly fell over.

"You can't be serious."

"Let's go!"

"You're going to win our dinner by playing video games?"

"Just let me do all the talking," she replied, pushing him inside and into a crowd of teenagers.

"You are seriously going to play video games for money, Odango?"

"Don't call me that!" She snapped, but she wasn't really paying attention, being too engrossed in the game displayed on the large, multi-player screen above them.

As soon as the last loser dropped out she thrust herself into the vacated spot and took up the controller. At first the other players, mostly teenage boys, hooted and jeered at her but they soon quieted down when the realized the extent of her considerable skills.

"Wow, you're not bad!" one of the guys called out.

Mamoru only shook his head.

"Your girlfriend's pretty good," the proprietor, an older man, mentioned to him.

"Uh - she's not, I mean - we're not -," Mamoru blushed.

"Oh, my mistake," the man coughed, "uh, but she is very good."

Mamoru watched the look of intense concentration on Usagi's cute face - it was rather adorable.

"Yeah," he replied, "she is."

Before he knew what he was doing he found himself chanting quietly along with the other teenagers who were rooting for Usagi to win. As the game drew to a close, Usagi's face only grew more determined. Then the screen burst into light and spinning images and Usagi jumped into the air, throwing her controller into the crowd.

"I WON!" she screamed, bouncing up and down with wild abandon.

"I woniwoniwoniwoniwoniwonionwon!" she sang.

"Yeah, you did, good job, Odango!" Mamoru laughed.

She froze in mid air.

"Don't call me that!" she glared.

"Hey, onisan, maybe you should pick on kids your own age!" one of the poorer losers yelled.

"What did you say to me?" Usagi growled.

"Yeah, grandma, you're too old to play games like this!" his girlfriend joined in.

"I'm not old!" Usagi shrieked, "I"m the princess of video games!"

"More like the old witch!" the girl retorted.

They instantaneously stuck their tongues out at each other as far as the would go.

"Let's go get your prize, Odango," Mamoru suggested, grabbing her firmly by the arm and propelling her toward the counter.

* * *

"Feel better now?" he asked. 

She smiled and nodded as she slurped her chocolate milkshake.

"Good."

He pulled out the wad of left over cash from her winnings and pushed it toward her over the table.

She blinked at him uncomprehendingly.

"That's yours," she said.

"What? But you won it."

"I won it for you," she replied, as though this were the most obvious thing in the world.

"But don't you want to buy video games or manga, or milkshakes?"

She shrugged.

"Keep it," she said.

Mamoru looked at her in amazement. Just when he thought he had finally figured out some part of her personality she somehow managed to surprise him.

"So was that red-headed lady your girlfriend?" she asked, curiously.

"Uh -no," he replied, "I don't have a girlfriend."

"I'm not surprised."

"Why?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Because," she slurped, "you just don't strike me as the type of guy who's good at relationships."

Mamoru sat in a shocked silence.

"How old are you?" he finally asked.

"I just turned twenty," she replied happily.

"There's no way."

"I ought to know how old I am," she retorted.

"You act like you're twelve and you look fifteen," he countered.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Are you in college?"

"No."

"Are you...married?"

"No!" she blushed.

"Then what do you do with yourself?" he asked, exasperated.

"I do what I want."

"You mean you're wasting your life," he answered, crossing his arms.

She grew furious.

"Why would you say something like that!?" she yelled, "You don't even know me!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he amended, "It's just that I can't stand to see anyone waste their potential like you are."

"What makes you think that's what I'm doing?" she countered.

"What do you want to be?" he asked, suddenly, "more than anything else?"

"Um...a bride," she blushed very red.

"I mean besides that," he tried to hide his annoyance.

"Uh, well, in high school I wanted to be a...a mangaka." she admitted, with a dreamy look in her eyes.

His cheek twitched.

"You want to draw manga?"

"Why do you say it like that!?"

"You have no other ambitions? No other goals?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"It's useless and silly, that's what's wrong with it!" he declared.

"It isn't useless and silly if it makes people happy!"

Her harried cry rang through the empty silence as they both regarded each other with angry, mistrustful eyes.

"Alright," he sighed at last, "So you want to be a manga artist. Have you ever thought of taking classes?"

She slurped on her milkshake in deep thought.

"Well, I'd like to...but how? Where would I go?"

"You could go anywhere!" he cried.

"All you have to do is enroll in private classes, or in a university. You could even enroll in my school."

"Really?"

Her blue eyes sparkled with a kindled excitement that he found fascinating.

"Of course," he answered softly. His breath stirred her bangs.

"There you are," a voice rang sharply.

They jerked away from each other and suddenly realized how close they'd been leaning toward one another over the table. Usagi's face was red, and Mamoru felt his own cheeks were a little hot.

_Why should I feel guilty? _He wondered, _I haven't done anything wrong._

Beryl was looking at him with an odd expression in her smoky amber eyes.

"I'm glad you found us - uh, me," he muttered, rising. As he did he saw the white haired man, Artemis, over Beryl's shoulder, striding toward their table with a sour expression.

"Uh, maybe we should go now," he mumbled.

Usagi caught his eye and winked.

"I'm glad you're here," she said to Beryl, "He's been talking about you so much that I could cry from boredom."

Beryl blinked in surprise.

"Really?"

"Oh, yeah," Usagi yawned, "well, gotta go. Thanks for the milkshake!" she called back.

"But you're the one who-" he began, then sighed, "Never mind."

He watched her go with a mixture of relief and...regret. He felt suddenly cold again, as though there were some strange warmth simply in her presence.

He turned to see Beryl regarding him with an inscrutable look.

"Is she your...friend?" she asked curiously.

"I don't know," he replied without thinking. Then he smiled at her.

"Do you want to get something to eat?"

She returned the smile with a sunny one of her own and nodded.

* * *

That night Mamoru lay on his bed, thinking over the events of the day. 

True to his word, Midorikawa had apprehended the thief with the help of the Mall guard and Mamoru now possessed his wallet with cards, money and identification intact. Plus, he now had the added bonus of Usagi's video game winnings.

He turned the wallet over and over in his slender hands as the moonlight falling softly through his bedroom window played over his fingers and cast a pale glow.

_She's a very warm hearted girl_ - he considered -_even if she is irresponsible and lackadaisical._

In his mind's eye he saw her frank blue eyes staring at him. He heard her voice say:

_"You just don't strike me as the type of guy who's good at relationships."_

_That's true, Odango, but then I haven't had a lot of practice._

He watched her wink at him and remembered Beryl's odd expression - suddenly the two things connected in his mind.

_Maybe it's something I can work on._

_Sugimoto-san is a nice woman,_ he thought sleepily_, very nice..._

The moon was hidden by a cloud as he finally drifted off to sleep. The stars twinkled in his dreams - sometimes amber and sometimes blue.


	3. Queen of Diamonds

**Author Note: **Long chapter here! (this story is slow) - Also - I appreciate the feedback!!! (especially COJ's comment about Usagi being different from the other stories. I hope that she's not too different – I wanted to explore her character in this much more than I have in the other stories. I feel like she's probably one way with her friends and another way with Mamoru, etc.. but If anyone has read those and thinks I have some character discrepancies – please let me know, if you have a moment! It bothers me so I'll try to keep an eye on that. Thank you!) Also, not that it will interest anyone but myself, but so far there are no original characters in this story – I've pulled most of them from the list of SM villains. (I felt sorry for them.) The names are either slightly modified or another version of their name. Enough notes - enjoy.

_

* * *

Starlight_

**Queen of Diamonds**

* * *

"I'm just telling you what I saw, Luna," a irritated male voice said. 

Usagi's relatives were visiting for the month, namely her mother's favorite cousin, Luna, and her husband, Artemis, along with Artemis' younger brother, Adamas (whom Usagi usually referred to as 'Prince' because of his attitude toward her.)

"Well, I know that, but sometimes you have a tendency to over-react," Luna replied smoothly, rolling rice to make onigiri for her husband and brother-in-law.

The Tsukino's and Shingo had gone to the beach for a week to celebrate Shingo's graduation from high school – while Usagi had decided to remain at home. Usagi's mother, Ikuko, had asked Luna and Artemis to watch after her, though she had told Usagi they were merely house sitting.

"Over-react!" he cried, his white hair fizzing all over his face, "I do not over-react!"

"Of course you don't," Luna replied, dryly, "which is why you're hissing and spitting right now."

Properly chastened, Artemis plopped onto the kitchen chair and watched his wife work.

"You know, Usagi's old enough to have boyfriends that the family doesn't know about," Luna commented after a moment, "and we really have no right to ask her if she doesn't want to tell us."

"Princess has a boyfriend?" a velvet voice spoke from the doorway.

Adamas, who was younger by a good seven years, looked very much like Artemis – the same tall stature and bone white hair, though his was shorter and wavier. He wore a diamond in each ear - Luna privately thought it was showy and in poor taste.

"Artemis seems to think so," Luna commented quietly.

Adamas eyed his brother questioningly.

"I don't know that for sure," Artemis admitted, "but we ran into this guy at the Mall yesterday and later on, after Usagi got lost -"

"You lost her?" Adamas asked, a hint of disapproval in his voice.

"You try keeping up with her!" Artemis retorted.

"Maybe I will next time," Adamas replied.

"Boys!" Luna called, "Be nice."

"Anyway, I found her with this guy."

"Who was he?" Adamas demanded.

Luna quirked an eyebrow at his tone of voice.

"Now hold on just a minute," she said sternly, whipping around, "that's enough out of both of you. What Usagi does is her business and not yours. Understand?"

They fought her gaze bravely but in the end they both nodded.

"Good."

Luna turned back to making her onigiri.

"Good morning everyone!" a bright voice called from the doorway.

"Hey, princess!" Adamas answered, smiling and opening his arms for a hug from Usagi.

"Does no one else find it strange that she should be up and dressed this early in the morning?" Artemis muttered.

"Do you have something special planned for today, Usagi?" Luna asked politely.

"Yeah!" Usagi popped an onigiri into her mouth and started to chew, mumbling:

"I have an arm crass oday."

"What's that, princess?"

"An art class," she gulped, "I signed up for one last night. They offer them at the University in the evenings. The teacher's name is Kaioh Michiru!"

"You're...taking...art classes?" Luna and Artemis asked, simultaneously.

"Yeah! Gotta go!" Usagi grinned and grabbed another onigiri before she fled out the door.

"What has gotten into her?" Artemis wondered.

Adamas watched her run down the street with a ponderous expression.

"What indeed," Luna smiled to herself.

* * *

"Uh, Sugimoto-san," Mamoru swallowed. His palms were sweating as he took of his gloves and threw them in the receptacle. 

Beryl removed her lab glasses and smiled.

"What is it, Chiba-san?"

"I was wondering..." he cleared his throat, and didn't realize that he was glaring at the scalpels on the table.

"Yes?" She waited patiently.

"Would you like to go with me to the Art Exhibition tonight?" he mumbled.

A large clash startled them both and they turned to see that Meioh-san had dropped a metal pan full of water onto the floor.

"Are you alright, Meioh-san?" he called.

"I'm fine," she answered shortly, her face red from stooping to gather the pan.

"Um..." Mamoru turned back to find Beryl looking at him cheerfully.

"I'd love to," she replied, "when should I meet you?"

"Well, would five be alright?"

"Sure," she agreed. Then she hesitated, licking her lips as though she was nervous. She moved a bit closer to him and said:

"Is this a..ah...I'm not sure how to ask..." her eyes asked instead.

Mamoru quickly replied, "Yes, if that's alright."

"Oh," she said, her eyes widened a bit. Her smile was nervous but happy.

"Yes, that's...great."

"Oh," he nodded, his face stoic, "good. I'll see you then."

"Ok."

He missed her jubilant smile as she turned back to clean up their lab space. He was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to notice her reaction, or the odd look on Meioh's face as she watched him leave.

* * *

"Yeah, I know! It's crazy isn't it?" Usagi chattered happily with Mina over the phone. 

"I'm so proud of you!" her friend exclaimed, "You're growing up!"

"Are you crying, Mina-chan?" Usagi sniffled.

"Yes!" Mina cried.

"Don't! Or I will too!!"

Usagi walked down the street, her eyes misty.

"Alright, but I am so proud of you. To think that you did all of this just because some guy -"

Mina stopped. Usagi could almost hear the light bulb in Mina's mind light up.

"Wait! Usagi, do you think that maybe this guy...likes you?"

"No way!" Usagi replied, "you should have heard the way he yelled at me. It was worse than any lecture Luna's ever given me."

"Huh," Mina sounded genuinely baffled, "I don't get it."

"Oh, let's not talk about him," she continued, "I've got the perfect date for you."

"Date? To what?"

"To the University formal!" Mina squealed over the phone, "Remember I told you I had this friend named Kaitou, and he doesn't have a date, and -"

"Mina-chan, stop setting me up, I told you I'm in love with Motoki-kun," Usagi argued.

"But he has a girlfriend," Mina insisted, "and -"

"I don't care!" Usagi declared, then shifted her bag to the other shoulder, "I've got to go – I need to buy art supplies."

"Just think about it?"

"Alright," Usagi sighed.

As she entered the shop she nearly ran into a tall blond man.

"Watch it there..." the young man said, steadying her with one hand.

"Nice hairstyle," he commented, his dark blue eyes sparkling with good humor.

"Uh, thank you," she breathed.

_He's so good looking!_

"You're pretty cute," he commented, as though he could hear her thoughts.

"Thanks," she sighed.

"You mind if I leave now?" he asked, smiling amusedly at her as she waffled back and forth in the doorway.

"Oh!" she blushed, "Sorry."

"No problem," the young man grinned, stepping around her.

"See you later...Odango!" he called, winking at her.

Surprisingly she didn't feel the anger that assaulted her when the Jerk used that name.

"Bye!" she yelled and waved like crazy.

"Wow," she breathed, "I wish someone like that was my boyfriend."

* * *

Mamoru smoothed his hair back and brushed a piece of fluff off of his black shirt. 

He let loose a long sigh to help calm himself. This wasn't his first date, but no date had ever meant more than this one.

_I'll prove I'm not heartless_. He vowed silently.

"You look very nice, Chiba-san."

He turned around and caught sight of Beryl. She was dressed in a short amber colored cocktail dress, at once elegant and frothy. The color perfectly matched her eyes and made her skin glow. He realized all of this, but felt not the slightest pull of...attraction.

_I'm trying too hard, just relax. _

"You look beautiful, Sugimoto-san," he replied.

"Thank you," she smiled, then gasped.

"Is this for me?"

He held out a long stemmed rose which she gently took in one perfectly manicured hand. It was a red rose, his favorite, and she pressed it to her face to inhale the scent. For some reason, all he could think of was the way it clashed with her dress.

_Can't think of everything._ He sighed.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked.

"Of course," she smiled, and took his offered arm gracefully.

She was nearly his height and they walked easily together through the campus to the Art Department where the University's museum was kept. He held the door for her and followed her into the halls.

"Do you like Art, Sugimoto-san?" he asked solemnly.

She laughed.

"I think everyone loves art!" she exclaimed.

He smiled.

"What kind of art do you like?"

"I'm really a fan of Modern art, European and American. And you?"

"I've never really thought about it," he admitted.

"Oh," she murmured.

They walked on in silence for a while.

"What are your plans after med school?" she asked at last.

"Well," he said, "I'd like to work for the University Hospital – I think I'd like to be a pediatrician."

"Really?" she asked, surprised, "I never thought that you liked children."

"Well, I was...raised in an orphanage," he cleared his throat, "and I sort of...have a..."

"I see," she nodded, "I never knew that about you."

Another awkward silence.

"What about you?" he asked, a little desperately.

"My plans or my childhood?" she smiled.

"Both...either."

"My parents are in the jewelry business – mostly diamonds; that's where I got my name – my mom's favorite stone," she began, glibly, "and as for the other question... I want to be hospital administrator."

"Wow," he commented.

"I know," she laughed at herself, "I'm ridiculously ambitious. But I just have to go as far as I can, you know?"

He nodded.

"That's the way I've always been, I want the best – for everyone, of course."

She glanced at him almost shyly.

_Beautiful, smart, ambitious. _He thought.

They walked on.

* * *

"Good evening," a woman's low, dulcet voice chimed. 

_Kaioh-sensei looks like a princess._ Usagi reflected dreamily.

Her teacher had gorgeous, wavy hair and was dressed with careless elegance and an artistic flair.

"This is a beginner class so we'll start with the basics," Kaioh said, holding up her pencil.

"This," she stated, in a beautiful yet bored tone, "is a pencil."

Usagi squirmed in her seat. So far class wasn't going so well. She decided to tune out Kaioh-sensei until she had something more interesting to say.

She flipped open her sketch book to the drawing she'd been working on. It was a picture of a woman sitting on a crescent moon gazing down at a young man asleep on the ground. She had an idea of what the woman's face should look like, but not the man's.

"What is that?" she heard a voice close to her whisper.

She almost yelled in surprise, but managed to stop herself in time. Dark blue eyes looked back at her with amusement.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered.

"I'm taking art lessons," the young man replied cheekily. He winked, just as he had that morning.

"My name's Usagi," she said.

"I'm Haruka," the blond answered. They smiled at one another.

_So handsome._ She sighed mentally.

"Is there a question?"

They both turned to the front where Kaioh-sensei was regarding them with a displeased look.

"Uh -" Usagi stuttered, reddening.

"Yes, sensei," Haruka answered, "I've forgotten, which end do you draw with?"

He flipped the pencil back and forth as the rest of the class giggled. Kaioh-sensei was mightily displeased.

"You look familiar," Kaioh stated flatly.

"Uh-oh, time to go, nice to see you again, Odango!" Haruka called, jumping out of his chair and bolting for the door as Kaioh-sensei, to Usagi's complete astonishment, marched out after the fleeing blond.

"I told you never to come back here, Tenoh-san!" she heard the art teacher shouting in the hall.

Most of the people in the class looked at each other in surprise. A few got up and left, and soon more followed.

"It's always like this on the first day," a dark-haired girl with large purple eyes murmured.

"Huh? Why did sensei get so mad at him?" Usagi asked her.

She smiled.

"She doesn't like for Tenoh-san to come to her classes because she always disrupts them."

"Wait," Usagi said, blushing furiously, "did you say 'she'?"

"And," the girl continued in a shy voice, "she told Tenoh-san that the next time she comes back, she's going to skin her alive."

"That's a girl?" Usagi squeaked.

"I don't think Kaioh-sensei really would though," the girl finished, gathering her materials, "she's not really a violent person."

"F-female?"

"It's nice meeting you," the girl smiled, "I hope I see you next week."

With that the dark haired girl left Usagi alone in the abandoned class room with her shattered dreams of love.

* * *

Mamoru was walking around the Art Department, bored. Ten minutes ago Sugimoto-san had had to take a phone call that she'd assured him would only take five minutes. 

He noticed the lights on in one of the class rooms and peeked his head in. He almost drew it out immediately.

_Why is that girl everywhere I go!?_ He swore.

_But what is she doing in here by herself?_

He cautiously crept in the room and made his way around to the back so that he wouldn't alert her to his presence.

"What are you drawing, Odango-atama?"

She shrieked and nearly fell off her seat.

He laughed, in spite of himself.

"Why did you do that!?" She whined.

He shrugged and tried to stop laughing. He felt warm again, suddenly. He decided to enjoy it.

"What is this?" he asked, pulling her sketch pad toward him.

She squeaked in anger and jumped up to grab it away from him.

"Uh-uh!" he clucked, "Not so fast. Let's see."

He held the sketch pad easily out of her reach, she was very much shorter than he, and proceeded to make sense of the drawing. His amused expression changed to one of interest.

"Who is this couple?" he asked, "The woman's face looks so..."

"It's none of your business!" she yelped, grabbing the sketch pad back.

"OK," he shrugged.

"Where did you get your inspiration?"

"It's..." she blushed and held the pad to her chest protectively, "It's my favorite story."

"Selene and Endymion."

Mamoru's brows arched in surprise.

"I didn't know you liked Greek mythology, Odango."

"Well you don't know everything, do you?" she replied.

"Evidently not. So, did you actually take my advice?"

"Yes," she just restrained herself from sticking out her tongue at him.

"Did you take mine?"

For answer he gestured to his clothing.

Her eyes went wide.

"Really!?" she gasped, "You're on a date!"

"Not so loud," he smiled, "the way you talk about it you'd think I found the cure for cancer."

"You're hopeless," she fizzed, then cocked her head to one side.

"What is your name, anyway?"

"Chiba Mamoru," he replied, "And you're Usagi...?"

"Tsukino," she provided.

"I like Odango-atama better."

"Well I don't."

He sat beside her desk and she sat backwards at the desk across from him.

"So why Endymion and Selene?" he asked, gesturing at her picture.

"I like their story, I think it's romantic."

"Romantic?" he scoffed, "How can a girl putting her boyfriend to sleep be romantic? It sounds like something you'd do for an old dog."

She did stick her tongue out at him then.

"I see you haven't mended all your faults yet," he observed calmly.

"Right back at you." she grumbled.

He reached over suddenly and ruffled her hair.

"Come on," he urged, "stop being such a baby."

"Stop being such a jerk!" she retorted.

He caught her eyes and they looked at each other for a long time. Finally he offered his hand.

"Truce?"

She looked at him sidelong.

"Truce," she agreed, reluctantly.

They shook hands.

"So, seriously, why do you like this story so much?"

"Well," she began, a little shyly, "the truth is I want to make a manga about it."

"Really? No, I'm interested, tell me about it."

"Well, it'll be set in this kingdom back in the past. And there's this princess who falls in love with a prince but they can't be together -"

"Why?" he interjected.

"I haven't worked that part out yet." she admitted, "but they meet anyway and then in the end they die."

"It sounds a lot like Romeo and Juliet," he pronounced with distaste, "I don't get the Selene and Endymion part."

"She's the moon goddess," Usagi explained, "like the princess of the moon."

"Uh-huh," he crossed his arms.

"Oh, you wouldn't understand anyway," she pouted.

"Well, it sounds very...original," he said, finally.

"Thanks."

He caught the shy look of happiness in her eyes that his compliment had produced and felt his heart flutter strangely.

_I must be tired, _he thought.

"Well, how is it going so far?"

"Actually, I'm having trouble with the face of the prince." she confided.

"Oh? Let me see."

Usagi opened the sketch book and the two leaned over the picture, their heads nearly touching.

"I think...he should have dark hair," he suggested, "she looks like her hair is very light, maybe white."

"It is," she smiled, surprised and pleased – she hadn't colored the drawing yet, "that's a good idea. I was thinking -"

"Chiba-san?"

Again they jerked away and looked up.

Beryl was standing in the door way, staring at them.

"Everything alright?" he asked, getting up.

"Oh, yes," she answered a little distantly. She glanced confusedly at Usagi.

"Well, thank you for chatting with me, Tsukino-san," Mamoru smiled, "good luck with your drawing."

"Uh, thanks," Usagi nodded.

Mamoru offered Beryl his arm and the two of them walked out of the classroom.

_Chiba-san..._Usagi thought..._he's not so bad when he isn't being rude and stand-offish. Sometimes he can act like a prince..._

She looked back at her drawing, struck suddenly with inspiration.

* * *

Mamoru had wished goodnight to Beryl some two hours ago. Now he was trying to get to sleep. The moon was hidden by a cloudy sky tonight, and the stars struggled to twinkle through the haze. 

His lack of feelings where Beryl was concerned confused him. He'd never felt much for anyone, but he was really trying to become attached to Beryl. Everything about her was perfect – like a flawless diamond - but what was wrong with him? Why couldn't he feel anything? Why was he continually cold and distant?

_Maybe Odango is right, maybe I am heartless..._

Memories of his childhood in the orphanage flooded back unexpectedly. Days spent playing himself while the seasons changed and everything always seemed to be frozen.

_Maybe it's because I never had parents, or siblings - maybe there's something I missed._

He thought of Usagi's cheerful face - her familar manner with the people she met. She even made him come out of shell occasionally.

_If I could harness some of Odango's personality, _he thought, _if I could understand how to open up...maybe I could figure out how to reciprocate Sugimoto-san's feelings._

He dreamed he was a prince trapped on an island in the middle of the sea, staring at the opposite shore where Beryl inspected a red jewel that he thought was his heart. Above him, swinging on the moon, Usagi was laughing.

* * *

Whew! That was a lot to get through! I'm sorry, it will pick more in the next chapter. I promise! Thank you for reading. 


	4. Queen of Hearts

_Starlight_

**Queen of Hearts**

* * *

Mina held up the white, pale blue and silver lace creation with it's thin straps, wavy folds and Empire waist. 

"It's perfect." she smiled.

Usagi's eyes were ready to fall out of her head.

"Wow," she breathed, "It's amazing! How did you find that!?"

She and Mina giggled and spun around in circles with the dress.

"Am I good, or am I good?" Mina asked, grinning.

"You'll look like a princess, like that moon princess you're always drawing," she added, watching with pleasure as Usagi's face lit up even more.

"Wow! I will! Thank you!!!" Usagi was bouncing up and down in excitement.

"Well, you better hurry up and get ready," Mina laughed, "Kaitou-kun will be here soon."

Usagi's excitement drained instantly.

"Do I have to go with him?" she whined, "I don't even know him."

"Yes," Mina sighed, crossing her arms, "You don't go to the college so you can't just barge in unless you go as the date of a student. And he's very nice, I don't know what you're worried about."

There was a knock on the door.

"Princess?" a voice called.

"I'm just in here with Mina!" Usagi called.

"Oh, are you dressed yet? Can I see?"

"Not yet, but you'll be the first I'll show off for, I promise!" she called.

"Alright!"

Footsteps receded from the door.

Mina gave Usagi a considering look.

"Adamas is your cousin, right?"

"Sort of, cousin by marriage."

"You know, Usagi...I think he likes you."

Usagi blinked at her friend.

"You think everyone likes me, Mina-chan!" she giggled, "That's silly. We've grown up together."

"Hm," Mina smiled, but her eyes didn't reflect the smile on her lips.

"Whatever you say, now let's get you dressed."

* * *

"Where did you say you were from?" Adamas asked smoothly, eying the young man in front of him with cool disdain. 

"Uh, Kyoto." Kaitou gulped. Even dressed in a tux, he felt absurdly like a peasant before a prince.

"Ah, and where did you meet Tsukino-san?"

"Um...actually," but he was saved anymore embarrassing questions as Usagi, in a burst of silver shimmering, appeared in the room.

Adamas was instantly on his feet.

"Beautiful doesn't even begin to describe you, Usagi," he exclaimed.

"Doesn't she look like a princess?" Mina suggested, showing off Usagi's long hair, which for once wasn't balled up on her head but instead hung down her back and glittered almost at much as her dress did. She even wore a silver crescent on a thin chain around her neck.

"A goddess," Adamas murmured.

Usagi blushed, but Mina's eyes narrowed at Adamas' praise.

"Well anyway, I'm pleased to meet you," Usagi bowed to Kaitou, who belated bowed to her. But she noticed the wistful glance he threw Mina's way – and suddenly another suspicion formed in her mind.

_He likes Mina-chan!_

She almost considered backing out right then, but a determined look from Mina drove her onward.

"Uh, shall we?" Kaitou asked, opening the door for Usagi.

"When will you be home?" Adamas called.

Kaitou was about to shrug when he caught Mina's look.

"Uh, twelve?"

"I don't think -" Adamas began.

"Great!" Mina shoved them both out the door.

"Have fun!" she called as she hurriedly shut the door in Adamas' angry face.

"Why did you do that?" he asked suspiciously, after he'd opened the door again.

"I didn't want you to play the over protective father-figure," she remarked flatly, "it doesn't suit you."

He opened his mouth to reply, then got a crafty look and said:

"I think I'll go to bed early tonight. No sense waiting up on Usagi, she's a big girl."

Mina watched him go with thinly veiled relief.

"I think I'll go home then," she called carelessly, "So I won't be back until tomorrow."

"Take care!" Adamas called, faking a yawn.

"You too!" Mina replied sweetly, edging out the door.

As soon as it was shut she raced to her house, and while she was in the process of changing clothes and doing her hair, Adamas was already in his car and driving to the University.

* * *

Mamoru held the door for Beryl since the train of her maroon evening gown was very long. She'd chosen a fairly plain yet chic gown with a brown fur wrap, and wore an amber necklace of large stones with matching twinkling earrings. 

Mamoru was dressed simply in a black tuxedo and tails, his hair combed back and in his hand he held a simple mask. Beryl's was rather elaborate with expensive looking feathers and small jewels decorating it.

For some reason he had yet to fathom, the student body had chosen to host a formal masked ball as a fund raiser for the University. Mamoru thought it was silly, but Beryl had seemed moderately excited about it so he tried to appear game.

"Is that Meioh-san?" she asked, gesturing to a tall woman in a garnet colored gown and black mask. The woman heard her and turned to bow slightly to the couple.

"I suppose so," Mamoru remarked.

_I wonder who Meioh-san came with..._

But she didn't appear to have a date. He caught sight of a man with green hair and a slightly rumpled tux.

"Midori?" he asked. The other man grunted and walked toward them.

"I can't believe they're making us wear these stupid things," he replied, pointing to the red mask on his face.

Mamoru shrugged.

"It's for charity."

"That's what everyone says," Midori snarled, "but still think it's stupid."

_Is that what people see me as? _Mamoru suddenly wondered. Gazing at Midori, he realized that perhaps it wasn't such a good thing to be cynical and closed off all the time.

"What?" Midori asked.

"Uh, nothing, let's just go in." He raised his mask to his face and settled it firmly. Beryl had already put her's on, and joining Meioh they walked into the ballroom.

* * *

"Listen," Ace Kaitou said over the music, "I think I'm going to go over there and talk to some of my friends, why don't you go get something to eat?" 

Usagi was about to berate him for his bad manners, but she changed her mind. She really didn't want to be in his company any longer than necessary, so she nodded.

They broke their awkward grasp and drifted to opposite sides of the ball room.

Usagi's white mask slipped just a bit and she reached up to adjust it.

"Hi," someone said, close to her elbow.

She turned and spotted the shy girl from her art class. The girl wore a simple black dress and black mask, both made of an exquisitely fine lace pattern.

"Hi," Usagi smiled, "I don't think I ever introduced myself to you. I'm Tsukino Usagi."

The other girl smiled diffidently and replied, "I'm Tomoe Hotaru."

"What a pretty name," Usagi cried, "Hey, do you want to go get some food?"

"I'm not very hungry but I'll come with you," the other girl agreed.

They walked together to the table and as Usagi started raiding the food, she asked:

"So what ever happened to Tenoh-san? Did Kaioh really skin her alive?"

Hotaru chuckled.

"Oh, no. Kaioh-san never caught her. Haruka is much too fast, and she rides a motorcycle."

"Wow," Usagi said, stuffing a bon bon into her mouth, "that's amazing!"

"You know," she gulped, "I really thought she was a guy when I first met her."

"A lot of people do," Hotaru nodded, "she says she thinks it's a great joke."

Usagi shook her head.

"I don't think so. There's no telling how many innocent girls fell in love with her, only to have their hearts broken when they found out the truth."

Her eyes watered at her own eloquence. Hotaru watched her with alarm.

"I don't think so," she answered, earnestly, "most people catch on right away."

Usagi blushed and looked sourly at the carrots in front of her.

"Huh, how do you know her?"

"She's my neighbor," Hotaru answered, picking up a napkin and handing to Usagi, who'd inadvertently stuck her finger in the chocolate sauce.

"Really?" Usagi completely missed the napkin and licked her finger. Hotaru tucked the napkin into a tight little ball and threw it away, hiding a smile.

"So, are they here tonight? Tenoh and Kaioh-sensei, I mean?"

"I think so," Hotaru said, "that's Kaioh-san over there," she pointed to a woman in a turquoise gown and a purple butterfly wrap with a blue mask, "and I know I saw Haruka somewhere."

"What color dress is she wearing?"

"I don't know," Hotaru replied, "she might be in a dress or a tuxedo, it's always hard to tell."

"Hey, that might be – oh, no never mind," Hotaru began.

Usagi looked in the direction she was pointing.

"Adamas!?" she gasped, then craned her head to look again. There was no one standing where she'd thought she'd seen her cousin.

"That's weird." she muttered.

Someone bumped into her and made her drop her spoon.

"Watch out," she yelled. The stranger wore a white mask like hers, and his blue eyes shone behind it warily.

"I'm very sorry," he said, blinking suddenly.

"Oh, it's alright," Usagi replied.

_He's...very..._

All her usual epithets deserted her. His blue eyes were too mesmerizing and she actually forgot she'd been in the process of picking up food.

"Let me get you another spoon," he said, and leaned around her to pick one up from the table.

They were so close to one another that Usagi forgot to breath. Mamoru, however, was finding it difficult to slow his breathing.

He noticed that she had a delicate scent – something like the smell of roses and rain. He shook his head to clear it and stepped away from her, handing her the spoon.

"Thanks," she smiled. They looked at each other for a moment.

"Are you hungry?" a woman's voice asked.

Usagi broke eye contact and looked at the approaching woman.

_She's very beautiful..._

Beryl's eyes narrowed when she saw Usagi, but she didn't appear to recognize her any more than the blond recognized her, or Mamoru.

"I'm fine," Mamoru replied, "I'm sorry, did you want anything?"

"Just you," Beryl joked lightly, "would you dance with me?"

"Of course," he said, offering her his arm. But he turned back to Usagi and added:

"I'm very sorry about the spoon."

Usagi shook her head and watched him walk off with the tall, graceful red-haired woman.

_Red-hair?_ She thought suddenly -

_Then that was Sugimoto...which means...that was..._

Her mouth dropped open.

"Oh-ho-ho..." she put hand to her head, "whoa... wait a minute...that's crazy."

"Talk to yourself often?" a pleasant voice asked.

"Not really," she answered, then looked up.

"It's you," she smiled, and Haruka, dressed in a tuxedo, grinned down at her.

"Want to dance, Odango?" she asked, holding out a hand.

"Um..." Usagi blushed, then blurted, "Yes!"

Haruka laughed and led her out onto the dance floor.

"So, who's the guy that's got you so flustered this time?" she asked, playfully.

Usagi blushed harder.

"Oh, uh...just some guy."

"Just some guy, huh?" Haruka danced closer to Mamoru and Beryl.

"That's Chiba-san," she remarked, surprised, "didn't know you liked them tall, dark and stone-faced."

"He's not like that!" Usagi cried, "He's just shy."

Haruka snorted but eyed Usagi introspectively.

"I think someone's got a crush," she suggested, raising an eyebrow.

"Ha!" Usagi laughed a little crazily, "That's really ridiculous! I can't stand him."

"Uh-huh," Haruka grinned, spinning her out and then in again, "well, I feel sorry for him then."

"You do?"

"Yeah, cause one-sided love isn't that much fun," she remarked, slightly acerbically.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it may just be me," Haruka said, twirling Usagi expertly under one arm, "but he looks ready to punch me for dancing with you – look."

She turned her back to Mamoru so that Usagi could see him. To her utter amazement he was staring at Haruka with a very unpleasant expression on his face.

"I'm sure he can't, he wouldn't -" she spluttered.

"Want to bet?" Haruka counter, then smiled evily, "Watch this."

With that she spun sideways so that they were both facing Mamoru sidelong, then she dipped Usagi and pulled her back up very tight against her.

Usagi squeaked, but she did notice two very important things in that moment – the first being that Haruka was definitely female, and the second that Mamoru looked the perfect picture of jealousy.

"See," Haruka smirked.

Suddenly she caught sight of something that stole her attention from what she was doing. Usagi didn't notice because she was too busy watching Mamoru's face go from dark to stormy.

"I think I may have over done it with that last dip, kitten," Haruka murmured, "do you mind if I take a rain check?"

"No that's fine," Usagi nodded, "I'm a little tired anyway."

"Thanks," Haruka leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. Usagi blushed, which only made Haruka smile as she rushed off into the crowd. Usagi thought she caught a glimpse of turquoise.

"I wonder what that was all about?" Usagi thought out loud.

* * *

"Drat these stupid plants," Mina muttered as her mask caught on one of the ballroom's many ferns. She'd climbed in through the second story window of the Art building and done some expert sneaking to get into the ballroom without proper identification or an invitation and she wasn't going to let a plant stop her now. 

She smoothed the folds of her peach silk gown and righted her golden mask.

"The love goddess arrives," she whispered to herself, grinning, "and tonight will be my finest work to date!"

She seamlessly mingled with the crowd and made her way through the dancers, looking for a particular blond girl in a silver dress.

Instead she spotted a tall white haired man in a borrowed tux.

"That's that cousin of her's!" she hissed angrily.

"What is he doing here?"

She crept up behind him, ready to pounce, when a taller woman in a dark red dress approached Adamas. Mina remained where she was.

"Aren't you that guy at the mall?" the mysterious woman asked bluntly.

Admas stared at her nervously.

"I don't think I quite understand – you must have me confused with someone else," he began.

"Artemis," the woman, who was Meioh Setsuna, replied.

"That was his name. Are you him?"

"Uh...he's my brother," Adamas admitted, "but I don't think I know who you are -"

"Why are you here?" Setsuna asked.

Adamas was so startled by her frankness he couldn't answer for a moment.

"I have a right to be here -"

"But why are you?"

She fixed him with her dark red gaze and he could only mutter faintly about wanting to keep an eye on his cousin.

"I see," she answered, turning to look at the blond stuffing her face at one of the smaller tables.

Her tone implied she might see a great deal more than he meant for her to.

"She's your cousin?" Setsuna asked.

"By marriage, on her mother's side -" he stuttered, "we're practically not even -"

"Related?" Setsuna smirked; it unnerved him considerably.

"Hm," Setsuna continued, "that's why you're here. But it doesn't look like it will do you much good."

"What do you mean?"

This strange woman's replies drew both Adamas and Mina and made them hang on every word.

"Force me to be blunt and I will. She doesn't see you as anything more than a cousin, an elder brother at the most," she replied, stolidly, "you should learn to be content with that."

He flushed delicately and felt a slight stab of pain.

"I know," he whispered, "but -"

"No buts," Setsuna bit sharply, turning back to fix him again with her smothering red eyes.

He felt like he was drowning in her eyes, they didn't offer the options he wanted, only the answers that were inevitable.

He bowed his head.

She turned back to watch the couples dancing.

"In time," she whispered, "you don't notice it so much."

She smiled at him then, and there was a hint of sympathy in her eyes now.

Mina watched the two of them watching a blond girl and a dark haired boy, and she wondered, suddenly, if love was always the wonderful thing she'd believed it to be.

* * *

"Excuse me." 

Usagi looked up from her chocolate cake and met Mamoru's blue eyes. She gulped.

"I don't want to seem...um...I was just wondering," he stumbled, "would you...like to dance?"

Her cheeks flushed.

_This is the Jerk, asking me to dance...this is too weird!_

She nodded and took his hand.

Outside the moon sparkled through the large ballroom windows, throwing a pale shadow on the curtains.

He led her nervously out onto the ballroom's floor. He'd never been so nervous – not when he'd asked Beryl on a date, not when he'd had to give a speech in class on ethics and medicine – never.

_It's just Odango, and she doesn't know who I am...I can just be like I always am...what is wrong with me?_

He was shaky inside and terribly confused.

He'd known from the moment he saw the crescent moon on her throat that it was Usagi. But he hadn't expected his own reaction at seeing her dressed in such a mature and...different way. Her resemblance to the princess in her manga had made him laugh at first, but when he'd seen her dancing with that – that – young man - he'd been seized by a totally new emotion.

_I'm worried about her with that guy, _he rationalized. _It's natural._

Especially since he'd seen the young man following an older student around.

_Playboy._ Mamoru had pegged him with a glance, and boys like that were no good for innocent girls like Usagi.

"Are you alright?" she asked, breaking in on his thoughts. Her eyes were worried behind the mask.

"Oh, I'm fine, sorry. I was just...thinking..."

"About what?" she asked, timidly.

"Oh...your...dress," he answered, "It's very...unusual."

"It was hard to find," she confided, "do you think it's too..."

"It's beautiful," he said, "you look beautiful in it."

She felt a blush creeping up her cheeks.

Why did his compliments affect her more than anyone else's?

"Thank you," she smiled.

He drew in a quick breath.

"Who did you come with tonight?"

"Um...I'm not sure where he went, actually," she laughed, a little embarrassed, "I don't really know him that well – he's friend of my friend. She's always trying to set me up with guys -"

She cut herself off.

"Oh," he asked, "do you have a...boyfriend?"

"No!" she cried.

"I mean, um, no, not really."

"Why not?" he asked, then immediately wanted to kick himself for his own social ineptitude, "I mean, a pretty girl like you..."

_Great...now I sound like a sleaze ball, _he groaned mentally.

"I just...I never have found someone I like enough, I guess," she mumbled, "and most of the guys I like already have girlfriends."

That was a not so gentle reminder of his own state. With a twinge of guilt he remembered Beryl.

"I see."

"What about you?" she asked, "I saw that pretty woman in the purple mask with the feathers..."

"Uh, we're -" why couldn't he just say it? - "dating."

"Casually, you know," he added, "nothing serious."

She nodded. They caught themselves gazing at one another and looked away, embarrassed.

Neither had ever felt so awkward before and it was almost with relief that they heard the end of the song.

"Well, thank you for the dance," he said, still holding her hand without noticing it.

"Of course, thank you for asking me," she said.

"Chiba-san!"

"Tsukino-san!"

They both twisted to look in opposite directions, then turned back to each other with red faces, found themselves holding each other's hand and dropped their hands instantly.

"There you are," Beryl said, giving Usagi a piercing look, "I was wondering if you were ready to go?"

"Finally, I found you," Kaitou panted, "come on, we've gotta get back before your guardian kills me."

Mamoru had taken off his mask, no longer pretending that he didn't know who she was. He only looked at her, silently.

"Did you hear me, Chiba-san?" Beryl repeated.

"I..." Usagi said, pulling her mask off slowly, "did you...know it was me?"

He nodded.

She blushed scarlet.

"Come on!" Kaitou grabbed her arm and pulled her away. Mamoru frowned, but Beryl's cold hand on his shoulder kept him rooted to the spot. He watched Usagi trailing behind Kaitou, throwing glances back at him over her shoulder.

"Chiba-san?" Beryl asked, a desperate edge to her voice.

Finally he looked at her, and she saw something in his eyes that made her blood run cold.

"Let's go," he suggested quietly, in a perfectly polite tone. But she only felt little claws of fear on her neck and in her heart.

She took his arm silently and they walked out.

* * *

Mina watched this interesting goodbye from a safe place by one of the ballroom columns. 

"So that's him," she muttered, a light in her eyes.

"Alright," she declared to no one, clenching her fist and grinning:

"I, Aino Minako, the goddess of love, will bring Usagi her prince – or die trying! This I swear!"

The people around her gave her odd looks and then avoided her.

"No one stops the love goddess!" she cried.

"Excuse me, Miss," a waiter interrupted, "but you're standing on the rose arrangements."

"Stupid plants," Mina muttered.


	5. Starcrossed

_Starlight_

**Star-crossed**

_

* * *

Whirling in a ballroom with strange faces, all masked – she felt pulled in one direction and then in the other. A golden figure with strange wings was trying to tell her which way to go, but she couldn't hear the figure over the sound of the music. _

_Suddenly the music stopped. She turned to see the man who held her, she reached up to take his mask off but his face was blank underneath – no features at all. She heard a laugh and a person with a rooster mask pulled her away from the faceless man. She spun into the arms of someone who caught her and held her until the room stopped spinning. And though she saw that he wore a mask too, she couldn't make herself remove it, because she knew who's face she would see. _

_He seemed determined to take it off, however, even though she pleaded with him. The moment the white mask fell -_

- she woke up.

Usagi was panting as if she'd run a race. She rubbed her head and flopped back down onto her bed. It was still dark outside, though there were the first traces of dawn on the horizon.

She closed her eyes, but she didn't want to go back to sleep. She had to do some serious thinking.

Her dream had disturbed her mainly because it reminded her of the thing she didn't want to face: the fact that she had felt...something...when she'd seen Mamoru yesterday. And she knew what that was and what it meant.

"I don't!" she whispered fiercely. She pulled her pillow out from under her head and stuffed it over her face.

"I don't-I don't -I don't -I don't!" she chanted, squeezing her eyes tight.

"I can't like Mamoru," she mumbled to herself, "it's ridiculous. I hate him. Well, I don't hate him. But he's mean – and he calls me 'Odango'. And I hate that!"

She wasn't having much success convincing herself. Visions of Mamoru's eyes, his smile and the way he laughed when he was with her – they all bombarded her mind against her will.

_It was because of him that I started getting serious about being a mangaka..._she admitted, _if he hadn't told me I could do it...I feel so sure of myself when I'm with him... it felt...natural...when we danced together. I never noticed before how much I really do look forward to seeing him...how much I value his judgment..._

These revelations weren't really new, she'd known these facts for a long time now, she just hadn't admitted them because of -

_Beryl! _

Her eyes popped open.

_He has a girlfriend!_

"Oh, fudge-balls." she groaned, "This is not good."

_Off limits! It's impossible for me to like him, I barely know him. He might be a psycho for all I know anyway. I refuse!_

"I refuse!" she yelled in desperation, "I refuse!!"

"Usagi?" a tired voice called from the hallway.

"Are you alright, dear?"

"Sorry, Luna!" she called weakly, then belatedly remembered the pillow over her face. She threw it off and called again:

"Just a bad dream!"

"Alright, well, sleep well."

She heard Luna shuffle back to the guest bedroom.

"And now I woke Luna up," she muttered, crossing her arms.

"This is obviously no good. I'll just have to find him tomorrow and prove to myself how much I can't stand him!"

She nodded, satisfied.

"No stupid dream's going to tell me what to do..."she mumbled as she drifted back to sleep.

* * *

Mamoru couldn't sleep. He'd been staring at the moon outside his window for three hours – watching it fade as the sun rose. 

His thoughts were peaceful and troubled at the same time.

Peaceful because he'd finally figured everything out, and troubled because he knew what he had to do and he wasn't looking forward to it.

That he had perhaps always liked Usagi, he considered highly possible. The first day they'd met his anger had drained away immediately – the outer shell that he kept to ward off the world had shattered without his even noticing it. All she'd had to do was smile and he'd found himself able to smile too.

His initial aggravation with her he now saw had been a reaction to her ability to see through him. It was something no one had ever been able to do. They were so different from each other – she was outgoing where he was introverted; she was sunny, cheerful while he was often cynical and inclined to distrust others; she was innocent and generous to a fault – he was jaded, resentful and fiercely private. Everything he had at first found annoying about her, he now realized he loved.

Her exuberance, informality, spontaneousness – all of these things had become, without his realizing it, very precious to him. He depended on her sunniness and warmth a great deal – even in the short time they'd known one another.

He liked her, perhaps more than even he realized. And that was what made today so difficult.

Today he had to tell Beryl the truth. Perhaps she already suspected that his heart wasn't with her, or his mind. He hadn't meant to trick her or deceive her – he had only lately understood his own feelings (and they had been very well disguised.)

But Usagi was the only person who had ever made him feel...warm – happy. At home.

Beryl was beautiful, classic, charming – supportive. He knew she would try her best to please him, to make the most of whatever he was – but it wasn't enough. He couldn't feel anything more than admiration for her.

Where as, Usagi, despite her clumsiness and immaturity, her laziness and sloughish attitudes, kindled emotions in him that he never thought he'd feel – didn't know he was capable of feeling. He had to find out more about this capacity within himself – and to do that honestly, he had to be honest with Beryl too. Even if it hurt her.

It was a testimony to the change Usagi's character had wrought in him thus far that he could feel such sympathy for Beryl at all– if he'd been in a similar situation before he'd met Usagi, he probably would have coldly explained the situation to her and felt he'd done his duty. No attachment, no emotion. Simple logic.

But now, he felt a certain sadness for Beryl that tempered his happiness.

Today was going to be a very long day.

* * *

"Alright," Mina declared, catching Usagi by the arm as she made her way to the video shop. 

"We need to have a very long talk."

"About what?" Usagi exclaimed, "I have to work. And Motoki-kun will be here today!"

"Don't try to fool me with any of that Motoki-kun nonsense. I know who you really like and it isn't him!"

Usagi stared at her, her face turning red.

"W-what do you mean?"

"I saw you." Mina smiled cockily.

"Huh?"

"Don't play shy with me," she demanded, shoving both of them through the door of the video shop and whirling through the mess of DVD's and games.

"I saw you with that guy you hate so much...and you know what I think?"

"Uh -"

"I think that you like him!" Mina crowed jubilantly.

"No, I don't!" Usagi yelled, pinning herself with her own badge and sucking on her finger.

Mina's eyes narrowed and the air around Usagi almost seemed to hum as if with some unseen, uncanny energy.

"You can't lie about things like this to me," Mina said darkly, "I can see all."

"Oh, you can not!" Usagi blew her a raspberry, but it was a weak one.

"Hm," Mina crossed her arms.

"Why are you in denial about this?" she asked, "He's a cute guy, and he looks very charming – not at all like what you said about him."

"You don't know him," Usagi retorted, "besides he already has a girlfriend."

"Ahah! So that's it."

Mina cracked her fingers, stretching her arms.

"No worries, I've got it under control. Now, who is she?"

"No, no, no!" Usagi waved her hands frantically, "I don't want to cause major drama!"

"It's a piece of cake, besides, you two were obviously meant for each other," Mina assured her, "and it'll happen anyway, sooner or later. So, who is she?"

"Well, her name is Sugimoto Beryl – she's a med student, I think – very tall, very rich, very pretty, and very smart."

Usagi hung her head while Mina blinked at her.

"So!?" she cried, "You're just as good as she is, Usa-chan! I don't want to see a shred of self pity in those eyes! Head up! Shoulders back!"

Usagi stood stiffly and tried to do as Mina ordered.

"That's better. Now, answer me one thing, and you better not lie because I'll know!" she threatened, pointing a finger at Usagi's nose:

"Do you like this guy?"

"Well -"

"Usagi -"

"Yes! Yes! Alright!? I like him!" she squealed, "I like him so much I can't stand it!"

Mina clapped her hands together as stars shone in her suddenly moist eyes.

"I knew it!" she cooed, "You're destined to be together! I've always said so!"

"No you haven't," Usagi began.

"All that's left is for you to tell him!" Mina beamed, looking at Usagi expectantly.

Usagi turned pale and made a horrible face.

"I can't do THAT!" she shrieked. She tried to run for the door, but Mina headed her off at the Horror rack and jumped in front of her.

"Not so fast," she growled, "you're gonna tell him or I'll make you give me back all my Sailor V manga!"

Usagi gasped as if Mina had slapped her.

"You wouldn't!" she cried, "I haven't finished them yet!"

"I will," Mina promised with a steely glint in her eye, "unless you go right now and tell him."

"You're so mean!!!!" Usagi wailed, her eyes spilling tears.

Mina turned a deaf ear to her weeping.

"But what if he doesn't like me back and I get humiliated!?" She sniffed pitifully.

"That is a chance I'm willing to take," Mina answered bravely.

Usagi frowned suddenly. Something about that statement seemed suspicious.

"Look, Usagi," Mina sighed, "You really like this guy, and maybe he likes you too. You might as well tell him or you'll always regret not knowing. Right?"

Usagi was silent in thought, which was very rare indeed.

"Ok," she wavered at last, "But you have to come with me, at least as far as the campus."

"Deal!" Mina grinned, and opened the door to the video store.

* * *

Mamoru steeled himself as he waited for Beryl to exit the Lab. They'd performed their exercises in relative silence today, everyone seemed preoccupied by their own thoughts. 

As she came out at last he waved to her and she fell into step beside him.

"What's up?" she asked, cheerfully.

"I need to talk to you about something," he said, and he noticed that her eyes immediately looked sharp and wary.

"Of course," she answered, her voice was causal and pleasant, and hid her feelings and thoughts completely.

"Let's go to the park," Mamoru suggested.

They walked quietly through the arch way of the Sciene Department building, through the shaded walkway to the campus gardens and park.

Once there Beryl sat gracefully on one of the benches while Mamoru stood in front of her with his hands clenched inside his pockets.

He cleared his throat.

"I've been meaning to ask you," he began, "about our relationship – we've never really discussed it in detail but...how would you define it?"

His blue eyes seemed darker than usual and Beryl shivered.

"Well," she smiled, "that's a difficult question to answer, I know how I'd like to define it – but I don't know if you'd agree."

"Tell me," he urged.

"Alright," she sighed, "I think you and I have a mostly platonic relationship right now – you have all the warmth of a formal suitor, but then, you are a very private person and I respect that."

He nodded.

"But if you're asking me what I would like to happen," she continued, her eyes narrowing sharply, "I'd have to tell you that I think we have the potential to become a one of a kind couple."

He blinked.

"What do you mean?"

"Just think about it," Beryl said, leaning toward him, her eyes flashing as she spoke excitedly, "we have wealth, talent, intelligence – connections, I know those things seem materialistic – of course there's so much more to a relationship than that, but, you and I – we could do so much together. We have so much potential. And I -"

She broke off, blushing.

"I really do like you, Chiba-kun," she murmured, not meeting his eyes.

He sighed and turned away for a moment.

When he did speak, his voice was very gentle.

"I appreciate your feelings for me, Sugimoto-san," he said, "I think you are right about a lot of things. Together you and I probably could achieve great things – I'm sure that's a worthy attribute of a good relationship. But -"

He turned around to face her, willing himself to confront the issue head on.

"But there is...someone else...for me," he said, "and I can't envision any other person I'd rather be with than her right now. I'm sorry to hurt you – it truly wasn't my intention. But I feel that, though you and I match in many ways, we just aren't right for each other."

Beryl nodded mutely, only her eyes betrayed her feelings – they were sparkling with a powerful emotion.

"May I..."she struggled, "May I ask who -?"

"I think you probably know," he answered.

Her face whitened a bit, her lips pulling into a thin line.

"I see."

She rose slowly and picked up her satchel.

"I need to leave now for class," she said, "thank you for your honesty, Chiba-san."

He bowed very low, and she returned his bow.

"Just remember," she added, with a half smile, "if you ever find that you...change your mind...if things don't work out the way you expect. I'll still be here...waiting."

He glanced at her with a half-curious, half-sympathetic look and nodded his head.

She smiled sadly and walked away.

* * *

"There he is!" Mina hissed from behind a bush. 

"I can't do it!" Usagi gurgled, her face pale and her eyes squeezed tight.

"Yes you can – you just march right up to him and – oh, damn!"

Her phone rang – a cute little jingle that sounded something like the theme to the Love Boat.

"Hello? Not now, mom!" she griped.

She listened, rolled her eyes, then shoved Usagi out of the bush and onto the ground, giving her a swift, yet gentle kick in the rear.

"Uh-huh," she continued, walking in the opposite direction with her phone, "no I didn't hear about your trip to London..."

Usagi gulped. Mina had deserted her in hour of direst need.

She caught a glimpse of Mamoru looking out over the park, the wind blowing his hair away from his brow.

"He's so handsome," she sighed and stood – right in the path of a woman walking in the opposite direction.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she cried.

"That's alright, I – oh, is it...Tsukino-san?" a lovely voice asked in surprise.

Usagi's pale blue eyes met the amber gaze of her victim.

"Yes, S-sugimoto-san."

Beryl smiled.

"You know, we always seem to be in the same place at the same time, but I never have introduced myself to you properly," the older woman said, "I'm a friend of Chiba-san's, and you are – well."

She smiled an understanding smile at Usagi, who blushed.

"Well, we're not -" Usagi spluttered, "I mean – you are – uh – aren't you?"

Beryl laughed, a tinkling, merry, at Usagi's confusion and said:

"I think you may be under some misapprehensions about my relationship with Chiba-san, we are nothing more than friends..."

"But, I think that maybe, you are in a different situation, Tsukino?" she hinted lightly as she watched Usagi's tell tale face.

"Well, I -" Usagi's heart was beating so happily at this news and at the same time she felt such a confused sympathy for Beryl, she wasn't sure how to react and so her emotions overwhelmed her.

"Is something wrong?" Beryl asked kindly.

The offer of an older woman's sympathy and understanding, especially one who was intimately involved with the crisis at hand, was too much for Usagi to pass by and so she eagerly pounced on the opportunity.

"I'm – I - I like Chiba-san," she admitted, blushing.

Beryl's sharp eyes took in everything Usagi's face told her, and she smiled in a sisterly fashion.

"I see, well that's nothing to be ashamed of," she admonished, "have you told him yet?"

"No," Usagi answered, "I was on my way to do it, but I – I'm nervous."

Beryl's eyebrows expressed surprise.

"Whatever for?" she demanded, "Why would a girl like you be nervous, you're usually so outgoing."

"Well, I'm afraid he might not...like me back," Usagi admitted.

Beryl gazed at her, but Usagi didn't catch the speculative gleam in her eyes.

"Now, why would you think something like that?" she asked softly.

"Well," Usagi twisted her skirt in her hand, "you see, it's all because of Mam- I mean, Chiba-san, that I've been trying to better myself lately. It's not that I care what he thinks -" she insisted, "it's just that he's made me...understand more about myself than I could before. He makes me feel like I can do more than I think I can...do you know what I mean?"

"Indeed," Beryl replied, and gently pulled Usagi to a bench where she sat down beside her and held her hand in a motherly way.

"So, when I realized that I l-liked him, I thought that – well I thought that he and you were -" she colored.

"You just seem more his type!" she blurted out.

Beryl really was surprised at this.

"You're so polished," Usagi explained, "so elegant. And I'm not really – I mean, I know I'm smart – but I'm lazy and clumsy – and I whine a lot."

Beryl bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"I see, so you think Chiba-san won't think you're good enough for him, is that it?"

"Yes," Usagi's head drooped.

Beryl looked out at the park around her and took a deep breath.

"You know, that's very...mature of you, Tsukino-san," she said, "it's a marvelous thing when you can feel more for others than you can for yourself. Very generous."

"Really?"

"Oh, yes." Beryl faced her, her amber eyes glowed with a mesmerizing quality, "it's a wonderful thing. In fact, that's what love is, you know. Wanting the best for the person you care about, no matter the cost to yourself. No matter what it might be."

"Oh," Usagi nodded, beginning to ponder over these words.

"You know," Beryl admitted, "when Chiba-san first told me that there was someone else, I felt very...well, I felt bothered by it. Hurt, betrayed, almost," she said, and noticed how Usagi's eyes opened wider with each syllable she uttered.

"It was painful," she said.

"I'm so sorry," Usagi whispered.

Beryl smiled.

"It's alright," she said, "because I understood then that, if you really love a person, you will always want what is best for them – even if -" she stopped.

"Yes?" Usagi asked.

"Well," Beryl seemed to waver, "even if they don't -"

"Want it themselves?" Usagi finished.

Beryl frowned.

"I shouldn't have said that," she remonstrated with herself, "I didn't mean to imply that you aren't right for Chiba-san, I just meant that one always wants the best for those one cares about, and obviously, Chiba-san knows what's best for him."

"Anyway," she turned and smiled cheerfully at Usagi, "you have his best interests at heart, I can tell. You are such a generous girl."

She patted Usagi's hand.

"I have to go now, but I wish you luck," she winked, "I know you'll always do what's best for Chiba-san, so I'm counting on you."

She walked away, head held high, her graceful figure swaying slightly as she went. Usagi stood staring after her in intense concentration. Of course she couldn't see Beryl's highly satisfied smile.

_Always have his best interests at heart...always want the best for him..._

She frowned.

_But am I the best person for Mamoru? _She wondered. She watched Beryl walking away – she noticed how confident she was, how poised and beautiful.

_Wouldn't someone like Sugimoto-san be better? She's given up so much for Chiba-san..._

"Tsukino!"

She gasped and turned around.

Mamoru was standing five feet away, staring at her.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi," she answered. Her heart was beating too fast, her mind and emotions were in a tumble.

_What should I do?_ She panicked.

"I, um, I'm glad to see you," he said, shyly. He took a step closer to her.

"Oh, me too," she replied.

"I really enjoyed the dance last night," he went on, taking another step, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you that I recognized you earlier. I hope you aren't mad about that."

"No way!" she laughed, it sounded hysterical even in her own ears.

"Is everything ok?" he asked, frowning slightly, "you look a little...pale."

"I'm fine," she said, "I just...I didn't sleep much last night...bad dreams."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."

She noticed his hand twitch, as though he'd thought to reach toward her and then decided against it. She gulped and looked into his eyes.

_It's now or never, _she told herself.

"Chiba-san, I -" she started, then froze as he took one more step.

He smiled, a half shy, half happy smile and it made her heart melt into her shoes.

"I wanted to talk to you about something," he began, then the campus clock chimed.

"I guess I don't have as much time as I thought," he added sheepishly, "I have to go get ready for my anatomy class, but, could we talk later? Can I come by the video store?"

"Sure, I guess," she stuttered.

He reached out hesitantly and gently tugged one of her pigtails.

"See you then, Odango," he murmured.

She smiled, and forgot to be angry.

"Yeah."

He walked away, glancing over his shoulder and waving at her. She stood watching him and waved back.

"There you are!" Mina's voice jolted her where she stood.

"I've been looking for you all over the place – did you tell him already!?"

"Tell who what?" she asked dazedly.

Mina stared at her and then burst into giggles.

"Come on," she said, "let's get you back to the store before you walk into a manhole."

* * *

Usagi, in a fit of nervous energy, had cleaned the entire video shop from top to bottom. Every rack, every movie, everything was in place where it should be, and there wasn't a hint of dust. 

She looked up sharply, her heart almost jumping out of her chest as the bells on the door jangled.

She sighed.

It was only an middle aged couple, coming to look for a movie.

She went back to scrubbing the counter top.

_I wonder what Mamoru is doing right now?_

An image of him dressed as Dr. Frankenstein, creating a monster from different random limbs and organs flashed into her head.

"Eww," she shuddered.

"I told you I didn't want to see that one!" a voice whined, "You never let me pick the movie."

"But you picked last time," the husband answered curtly, "I just don't want to see another movie with no plot and trite characters. I didn't get an M. A. in Literature to watch crap like this."

"It's not crap, Mr. Higher Education!" the woman screeched, "it's funny."

"Fine, then pick whatever you want, and I'll pay for it. Let's just go."

Usagi watched as the two made their way toward the counter. The woman had been pretty at one time, but her hair style and clothing were a rather obvious attempt to look younger than she was, which really came across as vulgar. Then man, on the other hand, looked aged beyond his years. His face was a mass of premature wrinkles and his hair was a dull grey. He eyed Usagi wearily and pulled out his wallet.

She rang their rental up and told them the price.

Their was a crash as the woman accidentally knocked over a stack of brochures on the counter.

"Damn it, Em," the man growled, "can't you keep from touching everything you see?"

"Don't yell at me," the woman hissed.

He sighed, embarrassed, and picked up the brochures, handing them back to a startled Usagi.

"Here's some advice for you, kid," he muttered in a low tone so that his wife wouldn't hear, "don't marry someone stupider than yourself, no matter how good looking he is."

Usagi blinked and almost dropped the pile of magazines back on the counter.

The bell rang again but she didn't notice it.

_How horrible..._she thought, _they were so miserable..._

_Could that ever be...would that ever be Mamoru and...?_

She felt like slumping behind the desk and crying.

"What's wrong, Odango?"

She gasped.

"Nothing," she stuttered, finding Mamoru's dark eyes fixed worriedly on her face.

"Nothing, huh?" he asked, then closed the distance between them by reaching out to catch the beginning of a tear on her cheek.

"Did something happen with a customer?" he asked.

"No," she shook her head frantically and tried to be her cheerful self, "No, I was just thinking about...a sad movie I saw with my friend, Mina."

"Oh," he smiled, "what was it?"

"Romeo and Juliet," she blurted without thinking.

"Yuck," he made a face.

"Hey," she frowned, "it's a good movie."

"If you like teenage hormones, yes," he mumbled. But he looked at her again with a diffident expression.

"Listen, I want to ask you something," he said, leaning on the counter. She held her breath.

"I know this will seem really sudden, and please think about it for as long as you want, but...I was just wondering if," he took a deep breath.

"If you'd like to go out with me sometime."

This was it. This was the moment she'd been waiting for. But instead of feeling happy...she only felt a horrible sense of...helplessness.

"I – Chiba-san -" she began.

"I'll understand if you want to think it over," he repeated earnestly, "I just...I feel so...happy, when I'm with you," he blushed, "uh..at ease, I mean, and I thought maybe we would have fun together."

She swallowed.

_If you really love a person, you'll want the best for them, even if they don't want it themselves..._

She closed her eyes and said:

"I'm sorry, Chiba-san, I don't think I can accept that."

The effort cost her so much that she continued to keep her eyes closed and her fists gripped the table counter so hard that her knuckles were white.

Mamoru stared at her in shock.

_I was wrong..._he thought..._I misjudged her feelings._

Everything in the world seemed upside-down and backward.

"I see, well. Then, can we -" he struggled, "I hope that we're friends?"

She nodded, her eyes still closed.

"Well, then, I'll see you around," she heard him say as he walked toward the door.

"Take care, Tsukino-san." he called.

The door bell rang.

She opened her eyes and with a burst of air and a sob, she let out the breath she'd been holding. She sank down behind the counter, as she'd been wanting to do, and cried.

* * *

AN: Please don't kill me. This isn't a tragedy, obviously, so there will be a happy ending. 


	6. Starlight

**AN: **Major Mush. Epilogue to follow. Enjoy!

_

* * *

Starlight_

**Starlight**

* * *

"Usagi!" Mina yelled, banging on her friends' bedroom door.

"What is it?" came a muffled voice.

"You know what it is, now let me in!"

She waited as she heard footsteps scurry to the door and unlock it.

"Since when do you lock your doors," Mina demanded as she wrenched the door open and barged inside, "and since when do you go to bed at nine on a weekend?"

She was a bit startled by the change in Usagi in the past two weeks. She was a little thinner, a little paler, and her eyes looked puffy sometimes. All of this was deeply disturbing to Mina, but she hadn't let on yet.

"I swear," she continued, flabbergasted, "you've got a guy practically throwing himself at you and now you won't even talk to him! Am I going to have to swipe your entire stash of hidden chocolate -"

"Leave me alone, Mina." Usagi muttered.

Mina was running out of steam, but this last sentence completely winded her. She stared at Usagi for a long moment, her face falling out of its usual humorous, playful expression and into a more mature, serious frame.

"What's wrong?" she asked, quietly.

Usagi sighed, and turned away from her to sit on her bed.

"I really don't want to discuss it," she said, her voice wasn't angry or upset, just sad. It scared Mina more than if she'd been in a temper tantrum.

"Are you sure? It doesn't matter what it is, you know," Mina prompted, "I can be as good a listener as I am a talker."

Usagi gave a half-hearted smile at this.

"I know."

"Then, come on – what's bothering you so much? It makes me worried."

Usagi shrugged and drew her knees up to hug them.

"Sometimes," she said, after a moment, "I wish I could be someone else."

"Why would you want to be anyone other than yourself?"

"Because -" she broke off. Then she looked up at Mina with an intense expression.

"Haven't you ever thought about how you could be better?"

"How do you mean?" Mina asked perplexed, "Like smarter? Better at school? I'd like to be a better volleyball player, but -"

"Sort of like that." Usagi paused, and after a while Mina realized she wasn't going to get anything else out of her.

She walked over to the bed and took Usagi's hands, forcing her to look up.

"I don't know why you'd want to be anybody but you," she pronounced solemnly, "I love you the way you are and you know that – everyone does. I'm going to leave you alone for now, but promise me if you keep feeling this way that you'll talk to me about it, alright?"

Usagi nodded. Mina waited but she didn't say anything, and eventually she got up to leave.

As she exited Usagi's room she found Luna and Adamas waiting for her with matching worried expressions.

"How is she?"

"Did she tell you what's wrong?"

Mina shook her head.

"No, but something must have happened between her and Chiba-san. She won't talk about it, but I can tell she's upset about him."

"If he did anything -" Adamas growled.

"I don't think it's that," Luna reprimanded sharply.

"No, I agree," Mina said, her eyes narrowing, "I think someone else is at the root of all this."

"Who?"

Mina glanced meaningfully at Adamas.

"I didn't do anything!" He cried, startled, "I would never come between Usagi and the person she wants to be with. Even if I don't like him, and I don't think he's good enough for her –"

"Adamas -"

"Wait," Mina exclaimed, her eyes wide, "that's it."

"What?" Luna and Adamas chorused.

"She doesn't think she's good enough for him, that's why she keeps talking about being better."

"But where would she get an idea like that?" Luna asked, "She really isn't prone to self reflection and assessment, if you understand my meaning."

"Someone's been talking to her, I have no doubt, but who -" Mina pondered, then her eyes widened.

"Beryl," she snapped.

"Who?"

"The woman who was with Chiba-san before, we met her on her way out of the park – she'd been talking with Usagi, and I thought – but of course it was her."

"What do we do?"

"I'm going to have a talk with Usagi," Luna said calmly, "and I think someone should try to figure out a way to get these two stubborn young people to talk to one another."

Adamas and Mina looked at each other hesitantly.

Finally Mina shrugged and held out her hand.

"Truce?"

"Truce." he replied. They shook.

"Finally," Luna muttered as she knocked on Usagi's door.

* * *

"Is everything alright, Chiba-san?" Beryl asked as she and Mamoru put up the equipment in the lab. It was their final late night lab session of the semester.

He'd regressed in the two short weeks to his former silent, surly self, and she couldn't say that she liked the change. On the one hand, it made it almost impossible to get a response out of him, and on the other – she hated admitting that she was powerless to effect a change herself.

Somehow the little blond had done it – in her blundering, idiotic way. But how? Beryl had tried to be more cheerful, sillier, happier – she'd even tried being a little clumsy – none of it had worked. There was no reaction from Mamoru at all, no matter what she did. And everytime she met Meioh's eyes she got the feeling that the woman could see straight through her into her heart – and that she was condemning her with every look she gave Mamoru.

"It's none of her business," Beryl snapped quietly, "I'm only doing what's best."

She glanced up. Meioh was merely looking at her with that vague yet piercing expression – something like a falcon sighting prey so insignificant that it doesn't even have to watch it closely before it makes the kill.

She shuddered.

"You've been very quiet lately, is something...wrong?" she asked.

Mamoru didn't seem to hear her.

"Is it...Tsukino-san?"

He did look up at that, and Beryl inwardly grimaced.

"Have you heard from her?" he asked, his voice full of wistfulness that fueled her anger.

"N-no," she replied, "I just wondered if something had...happened, between the two of you. Remember," she went on a little desperately, "I told you I'd be here if something happened, I want to help you -"

Mamoru stopped her with a dark, heavy glance.

"Thank you, Sugimoto," he replied, "but there's nothing you can do."

Beryl felt a gate shut and lock itself against her. She was barred forever from Mamoru's heart, perhaps she always had been. And the only one who had the key to that formidable barrier was a simpering, moronic little girl.

The anger that she'd been trying to hold in check for so long finally burst out of her, along with the hurt and the pain – she picked up her anatomy book and hurled it against the wall with all her might.

It slammed into the classroom wall with a smack so loud it reverberated like a gun shot.

Everyone stared at her. She could feel their eyes on her and it infuriated her. She grabbed her bag and left the book lying like a stunned bird on the floor.

She'd gone three steps out of the classroom when a low voice commanded:

"Stop."

She didn't know why she obeyed but she did.

"What do you want, Meioh-san?"

"What have you done?" the other woman asked, her eyes glinted like a hard jewel.

"Me?" Beryl laughed, not her usual bell-like laugh but more a rough, menacing tone, "I haven't done anything. I only tried to protect the man I love from making a stupid mistake."

"Really?" Meioh closed the distance between them so fast that Beryl gasped when she found them face to face, eye to eye, noses almost touching.

"Is that really what you've done, Beryl?" she asked.

Beryl wanted to close her eyes, but the sheer power she sensed in the other woman wouldn't let her until she'd finally looked into her own heart.

"N-no," she whispered.

"Then," Setsuna suggested, quietly, "fix it."

She turned on her heel and walked back into the classroom without another word or glance.

Beryl stood, shocked and breathing heavily.

* * *

"Usagi," Luna called, "may I come in?"

"Sure," Usagi called.

Luna opened the door and stepped softly into the pink and yellow room. Usagi was still sitting on her bed with her knees drawn up under her chin. Luna sat down beside her.

"You know, I was just wondering how everything was going for you," she said, "uh...especially your art classes."

"I haven't gone to them this week," Usagi admitted, "I've been thinking of quitting. I think I should get a real job."

"But, don't you love drawing? I though that was always your dream. And what about that manga you were going to make about Selene and Endymion, that's such a lovely idea – surely -"

"It's stupid," Usagi cried, tears falling down her cheeks, "it's all silly and useless. I hate that story!"

Luna put her arms around Usagi and rubbed her back soothingly.

"I don't think you mean that." she murmured, "I know how much work you put into writing your story and drawing your characters."

"But what good is it?" Usagi sobbed, "Why can't I be pretty and tall and successful?"

Luna tried to hide her smile as she rested her chin on Usagi's head.

"What is so good about all of those things?"

"If I was like that – then – maybe, maybe ..."

"Maybe you and Chiba-san could be together?"

Usagi didn't reply – but instead began crying in earnest.

"Usagi, there is nothing wrong with you," Luna explained, "and I think Chiba-san would be the first to agree that you are wonderful as you are. If the two of you are different, you just have to overcome those differences."

Usagi's sniffles quieted down.

"You know the story of Selene and Endymion," Luna suggested.

Usagi looked up at her.

"The goddess fell in love with a mortal," she replied, sniffling, "but they couldn't be together, so she put him to sleep so that they'd never have to be apart."

"But when I think about it now," Usagi added sadly, "it wasn't such a great thing, was it? He had to sleep forever. There must have been so many things he missed out on."

"That's true," Luna agreed, "but there's a little more to it than that."

She settled her arm around Usagi's shoulders and began to tell her a story.

* * *

"There it is!" Mina exclaimed.

She dragged Adamas behind her, and he was bent over by her strong grasp on his arm.

"Slow down and walk normally, can't you?" He gasped.

They didn't see the woman who had her back turned to them, and she, of course, didn't see them. Mina dodged her nimbly, but Adamas didn't stand a chance and collided with her – both of them falling to the ground.

"Just go on without me," he called feebly to Mina, who was already running through the door of the classroom.

"I'm so sorry, miss," he apologized graciously, helping the woman to her feet, "I didn't mean to-"

He gasped and almost dropped her hand.

"You're Beryl." he exclaimed.

Her eyes widened.

"Do I know you?" she asked haughtily.

"Chiba-san!" Mina shouted.

Everyone in the classroom turned to look at her; fortunately there were only a very few people still there.

"Uh, I'm Chiba," Mamoru called, perplexed. The girl looked slightly familiar but he wasn't really sure who she was at all.

To his utter amazement she marched up to him, grabbed his wrist in a vise-like grip and pulled him toward the door.

"Where are we going?" he asked, "And who are you?"

"I'm Aino Minako, I'm Usagi's friend," she explained as she dashed out the door, "and we're going to see Usagi!"

"Wait!" he cried, breaking her grasp and pulling away sharply.

"She doesn't want to see me," he said, "I won't bother her if she doesn't want to be bothered."

Mina put her hands on her hips.

"Look," she said, "I came all this way because my best friend won't come out of her room. She's been a wreck because of you, and now we're going to set everything straight."

"She's been a...wreck?" he echoed, "Is she alright?"

"Yes," Mina exclaimed, exasperated, "she's just an idiot! Now come on!"

"She's not an idiot," Mamoru growled.

Mina blinked.

"And another thing," he continued, "I don't like all this running and grabbing and not explaining things. We're not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on."

"Actually," Beryl spoke from the doorway, "I think I'm the one who should do that."

"Sugimoto?"

"You!" Mina hissed.

Beryl glared at her as if she were a troublesome kitten.

"Chiba-san, I owe you an apology." she admitted, "When I said I would be here to support you, I wasn't being completely honest."

"You can say that again!" Mina declared.

Adamas put a hand over her mouth.

"Let the woman speak," he suggested.

Mina glared.

"I met Tsukino-san on my way out of the park that day," Beryl explained, "she told me that she was...well, that she liked you."

Mamoru's eyes widened, his cheeks flushed faintly.

"I think she was on her way to tell you that, but -" Beryl broke down, "I just couldn't stand it!"

"Why should you be with someone like that!?" she cried, "I've done everything! I should be right for you! I've always tried to do what was best for you – and she's -"

"She's none of your business," he finished.

Beryl hung her head.

"I...suggested...some things to her that may have – that I knew would make her change her mind. That would make her doubt herself. She's so gullible," she smiled thinly.

Mamoru clenched his fists.

"So you lied to her and took advantage of her?" he asked quietly, "All because you're my friend?"

Beryl met his eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said, simply.

He held her gaze for a long, tense moment, before he finally nodded.

"Let's forget that it happened." he said, "but I don't think we can be friends."

Beryl let out a sob, which he ignored, walking past her through the door and into the night.

Adamas released his grip on Mina's mouth and gave her a slight push.

"Go on," he murmured to her.

She gave him a quick, questioning glance, but ran out after Mamoru.

Adamas watched Beryl cry silently for a moment.

"Have you ever heard the story of Selene and Endymion?" he asked suddenly.

She jerked her head up and glared at him.

"What are you talking about?"

"Have you ever heard it?"

"Yes," she snapped, "what does it matter? Princesses get their princes, and the princes are content to sleep for the rest of their lives. Good for them."

"I'm Adamas," he said.

"Adamas," she repeated to herself, "Diamond."

"That's one of its meanings, yes."

She smiled, despite the tears, and gave a low chuckle.

"It's rather ironic," she said.

He shrugged.

"I've been in love with Usagi since I first saw her," he mentioned casually, "which was when she was four years old and I was nine, so it's been a while."

"That is a long time," Beryl answered hollowly, intrigued in spite of herself, "You have remarkable endurance."

"Well, speak for yourself," he quipped.

"So, you know about Selene and Endymion, but do you know about Selene's sister, Eos?"

Beryl shook her head.

"Let me tell you about her, I think you'll find it interesting," he replied.

Setsuna, watching from the opposite door, smiled and faded into the shadows.

* * *

Usagi went rushing down the stairs, though Luna was calling for her to slow down before she broke her neck.

She was in a hurry, the biggest most urgent rush of her life to date. She jerked the door open and catapulted herself out and into the unfortunate person coming up the walk.

When the world stopped spinning she pushed herself up groggily and blinked.

"Ow," she whined, "that hurt. You have a hard head."

"So do you," a low voice chuckled.

"M-Mamoru!?" she gasped, her eyes wide in surprise, "what are you doing here!?"

"Being your cushion, at the moment," he pointed out, dryly.

Usagi blushed and scrambled off of him.

"Uh, I was just coming to see you," she said, "I wanted to apologize for last time...in the video shop..."

"Let's go for a walk," he suggested.

"Huh?"

He gently but firmly grabbed her hand and tugged her in the direction of the street.

"Mina, what are you doing here?" she wondered.

"Oh, just – just saying goodbye to Luna," Mina called, edging into the house while still trying to spy at the same time.

Usagi turned around and allowed Mamoru to lead her down the street toward the park.

"Um...did you come to see me?" she asked, hesitantly.

"Yes, I did. I was going to apologize for not having visited sooner. But I'd like to ask you something first."

"Oh, what is it?"

They stopped under a tree and he turned to face her.

"Will you go out with me?"

Usagi blinked, then blushed.

"It's not a trick question," he added, smirking, "just a simple yes or no will be fine."

She frowned.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Will – you -go -" he annunciated slowly.

"I'm not stupid!" she shouted and whacked him on the shoulder.

"Could have fooled me with the way you've been behaving lately," he retorted.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"Did you honestly think I wouldn't want to be with you because you're clumsy, and a cry-baby, and possibly the laziest person I've ever met?"

"I am not the laziest person-" she spluttered, "You – you – you -"

"Jerk?" he suggested.

"Yes!"

"But you admit that you were silly for not telling me that you like me."

"Who said I liked you!?" she yelled, turning redder.

He laughed.

"You did. Come on, admit it already!" he teased.

"I -" she stamped her foot, "I -"

"It's not that hard, Odango," he said kindly, "I'll even help you. Say 'Mamoru -kun, I like you.'"

If looks could kill Mamoru would have been dead five times over.

"I hate you!" she cried.

"No, that's close but you got the wrong word," he shook his head in mock patience, " 'Mamoru, I -"

"Alright!" she cried, "I like you!"

She gasped and put both hands to her mouth but he enveloped her in a hug, still laughing.

"Good," he said, between chuckles, "because I like you to, Odango."

"You do?" She murmured.

"Very much."

"Even though I'm – all the things you said?"

"Especially so, but then you are kind enough to put up with me, so I guess I can't complain."

"Huh," Usagi said, "I never thought of it like that."

"That's because you're an angel," he murmured and kissed the top of her head.

Usagi squeaked, and put both arms around him to hug him back.

"I like you a lot!" she exclaimed in a wobbly voice, "And I wanted to tell you, but I thought maybe it would be a bad idea because what if we end up driving each other crazy!? But then Luna said that that's the way it's supposed to be because you have to be willing to co – co – uh..."

"Compromise?" he suggested.

"Yes! And that's what my manga is about!"

"Usako, you aren't making any sense," he commented.

"You called me 'Usako'," she breathed happily.

"I can call you Odango-atama, if you'd prefer."

"Don't ever call me that again!" she yelled, and punched his ribs.

"You're very abusive, Usako," he groaned, and bent to pick her up, holding her eye level with him so that her feet dangled off the ground.

"Now," he said, "that's better. You can't hit me when I'm not looking."

She blushed as she looked into his eyes.

"Mamo-chan," she said.

"Hm?"

"Are you sure you don't mind being my boyfriend?"

Her eyes were very serious so he knew better than to laugh at her.

"Yes."

"Because," she added, "you might have to make a lot of compromises."

He gazed at her for some moments, memorizing her nose, her eyes, her lips.

"I think, Usako," he said, quietly, "that if you were the moon goddess, and I was the prince – I would be more than happy to sleep for the rest of my life – as long as you were in my dreams."

She smiled and he leaned in shyly and kissed her.

The moon came out from behind the clouds.


	7. Epilogue

**AN: **I'm not sure how I like this ending (it's nothing spectacular), but - really it's just an introduction into _Cupid and Psyche_ (with a little hint of closure for the other story lines). I hope that fits all the fairy tales into a circular pattern. Anyway, thank you very much to those who have stuck with me so far. (Especially Champion of Justice, Persian, Raye85, Valkyrie Celes and ShadowGlen who gave me very good advice and shared their honest oppinions. Thank you for encouraging me!)

_

* * *

_

_Starlight_

**Epilogue**

* * *

"Happy Birthday Mina!!!" 

"What did you wish for?"

"Usagi, you know if I tell you it won't come true."

The blond laughed and jostled Makoto in the ribs as she bent to slice the cake.

"Watch it, hairball!" she exclaimed affectionately, "Hey, Mamoru-kun, you better come over here and restrain the bunny or there won't be any cake left for anyone else."

Mamoru chuckled and ruffled Usagi's head as she pouted.

"Come on, Usako," he said, "let Mina have the first piece, it is her birthday, after all."

"Twenty-one!!!" Mina yelled, jumping in the air.

Rei dodged a flying piece of cake and shot Mina a harried look.

"Do you mind?" she asked, "I'd like to eat the cake, not wear it."

"Oh, you're just mad because you're so old."

"For your information -" Rei began.

"I'm the oldest," Mamoru cut in, "so let's not argue."

The girls subsided and ate their cake without too much mayhem. Mamoru smiled as he watched them, reflecting on how odd it was that he now had not only a fiance, but also four sisters to go with her.

_Matching set._

He smirked. But he was more than grateful – he was amazed. For a man who had grown up virtually alone, to be accepted so willingly and sincerely into a family (for that was how he saw them all – his first real taste of family) - this remained one of the most indelible pleasures he'd ever known. He never wanted to be without a single one of them.

"What are you thinking about, Mamo-chan?"

He stared down at his pretty Usako, her blue eyes gazing up at him in frank curiosity. He truly couldn't believe his good fortune on days like these.

"Nothing," he smiled, and accepted the offered plate of cake.

"Chocolate?" he asked, after a mouthful.

"Mako-chan made it especially for today – she's been backed up in her shop because of the orders she's been getting in lately, so we all helped out a bit."

"Delicious," he gulped. It only worried him slightly that Usako had had a hand in making what he was now eating. Only slightly.

"Hey, whatever happened to that cousin of yours?" Mako asked Usagi.

"The one you had a crush on?" Mina asked, slyly, "Although I can't understand why. Men with white hair - ugh!"

"That's my cousin, Adamas – he's Artemis' brother."

"Does he have a girlfriend?"

Usagi shrugged.

"He mentioned someone in his last phone call to mom," she answered, "but he didn't say who she was. For some reason he's being very mysterious about it."

Mako shook her head sadly.

"It figures," she pronounced, "all the guys I like are usually off limits anyway."

"Maybe you should change your tastes," Rei suggested, daintily devouring a bite.

"Says the vestal virgin," Mako snorted, "come on, you know you drool over guys like that as much as the rest of us."

Rei sniffed, but colored very slightly.

"Chiba-san, when are you planning on choosing your field?" a quiet voice asked.

"I've chosen pediatrics, actually," he answered, "and please, we've had this discussion, Ami; call me 'Mamoru'."

Ami blushed.

"I-I'm sorry," she grinned, "I'll try to remember."

"It's ok," he sighed, smiling at her fondly.

_Some things never change._

"Are you almost through with school?" he asked.

Ami nodded.

"Yes, this is my last real semester. Soon I'll be interning at Tokyo University – I hope to be admitted into the diagnostics department."

"You really are a wonder," he shook his head, "you're three years younger than I am, and almost four years ahead of me in school."

Ami blushed scarlet.

"W-well, I – my mother has connections – and the undergrad exemptions," she stammered.

"Don't be so modest," Rei called, "you should be proud of all your hard work."

Ami smiled shyly.

"I am, but I'm more excited than proud."

"I'd be scared to death," Usagi declared.

"I'd die if I had to stick a needle into someone's arm."

"Then it's a good thing you don't have to," Mako joked.

"How's that manga coming?" Mina jumped in, "Last I heard you were sending it off."

Usagi's face became jubilant.

"I did!" she squealed, "And it's going to be published!"

All the girls let out congratulatory sounds and exclamations.

"Did you stick to the idea of the moon princess and the prince?" Mako asked.

"Yeah, but I added in some more characters and a really nasty villain."

"Can I see it some time?" Rei requested.

"I've got the copy here with me," Usagi replied, jumping up to grab her bag.

She clamored back to the group and shoved a stained copy into Rei's lap.

"Wow, this is really beautiful," the dark haired girl commented, "I didn't know you could draw like this."

Usagi blushed with pleasure.

"Although, she looks a little like you," Rei pointed out, wryly.

"Oh, just the hair style!"

Mako craned her neck to peer at the manga, and the other girls joined her.

"Hey, that looks like...Rei," Mako said, pointing to one of the characters.

Usagi shifted uncomfortably.

"Well, I did draw some of it from real life," she admitted.

"And that looks like Ami, and there's Mamoru – and that's definitely Mina," Mako continued, jabbing at the page.

Rei and Ami's faces were very red at this point.

"I don't want to be in a stupid manga so that people I don't know can look at me!" Rei exclaimed.

"Oh, Usagi," Ami squeaked, "I -I really, I don't think that I'd – can you change it?"

"No, I can't change it!" Usagi shouted.

"I don't know why you're complaining," Mina noted, "I think it's wonderful. We're going to be so popular – can't you just see it? First everyone will fall in love with Usa's manga, and then they'll make an anime out of it and then a live action version, and then a stage show!"

Everyone was staring at her in horror.

"And then!" she finished, "We can all audition!!"

"I love it!" she ended, embracing Usagi.

"Wow, we could be idols," Mako murmured, "I could meet famous people..."

"Earth to crazy girls, I don't want to be famous!" Rei growled.

"Me neither!" Ami chimed in.

Mamoru tried desperately to think of a way to stop the coming squabble.

"Uh – hey, Mina!" he called, "Why don't we go to your favorite club tonight? Drinks on me."

"Really!?" she gasped.

"Yeah," Mamoru agreed weakly.

"Let's go!" Mina shouted, jumping up and grabbing her bag.

"Uh, I have to get back and look in on the shrine," Rei acknowledged, "I left the new guy in charge and I don't really think he can handle more than an hour's worth of responsibility."

"I'm afraid I have to study," Ami put in, "my last big test is just around the corner."

Mina's face was falling with each excuse.

"And I've got to get back to the shop and close up," Mako added.

Mina was close to wilting.

"Usagi, Mamo-chan, will it just be us?"

Usagi threw Mamoru a very pointed look.

"Uh, on second thought, I'll call you later tonight," he hedged, "I mean, Usa and I were going to -"

"It's alright," Mina sighed, "go – go, you young fools."

Mamoru found it hard to keep a straight face, but he decided to be grateful that Mina had let him off the hook so easily.

"Please, don't get in to any trouble," Rei warned as she hugged Mina.

"Yes, mother," the blond replied.

"See you later!" Mako called, and Ami waved as they both walked out the door together.

"Stay out of trouble," they chimed.

"Happy Birthday, Mina-chan," Usagi said as she embraced her friend.

"I hope," she whispered, "that you get what you wished for."

Mina smiled.

"Well, I don't think Mamoru's going to dump you any time soon, so I may have to wait."

Usagi jerked back, her eyes wide.

"You wished for my boyfriend!?"

"Why not?" Mina teased, "I just want the best."

Usagi eyed her suspiciously and turned with the same look to Mamoru. He merely rolled his eyes.

"Let's go, before your face gets stuck that way," he remarked and guided her toward the door.

"Don't get into trouble, Mina!" she cried as she and Mamoru exited.

"What is it with you guys? You'd think all I ever do is -"

Mina sighed.

* * *

"Huh," Usagi shut her phone as she and Mamoru made their way back to her apartment. 

"What is it?" he asked, his arm casually draped around her.

"Mom just called," she explained, "she wanted to know if Shingo was visiting with me."

"Doesn't she know where he is?"

"I guess he's with his friends and forgot to tell her." But her face betrayed her worry.

"Would you like me to...talk to him?" Mamoru suggested lightly.

Usagi's face lit up.

"How do you do that?" she asked.

"Do what?"

She only smiled as they walked on.

"He's probably just feeling a little teenage rebellion," Mamoru continued, "most boys do around that age."

"Did you?"

Mamoru coughed.

"Uh – the normal amount."

"What did you do?" she demanded.

He shrugged, looking awkward.

"Oh, nothing much – I was pretty boring, actually. And no parents or foster parents – so there was no one to rebel against, except the teachers – and I actually liked school."

Usagi shook her head in bafflement at this confession.

"How boring Mamo-chan is," she reflected sadly.

"Hey," he protested, "I'm reliable, responsible. Something you seem to lack appreciation for."

She snorted.

"And you'd better get used to it." He added.

"I can be responsible when I want to be."

"I know you can."

"And the first responsible thing I'm going to do is find Mina a boyfriend."

He looked at her in surprise.

"That way we can be sure her birthday wish doesn't come true the wrong way."

He chuckled.

* * *

Well that's all she wrote. For now, anyway. Thanks again. 


End file.
